{"id":97454,"date":"2026-04-18T14:27:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T14:27:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/abandoned-building-transformed-into-student-housing"},"modified":"2026-04-18T15:16:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T15:16:03","slug":"abandoned-building-transformed-into-student-housing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/abandoned-building-transformed-into-student-housing","title":{"rendered":"Abandoned Building Transformed Into Student Housing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Africa. <\/strong><\/span>A previously abandoned and hijacked building in Johannesburg\u2019s central business district (CBD) has been redeveloped into a fully let, affordable student accommodation complex.<\/p>\n

On 17 April, property expert Ash Mu\u0308ller revealed that an abandoned, hijacked CBD office building, Remington Court, has been fully transformed into a green-certified mixed-use building with affordable rental units and is fully let.<\/p>\n

The building had been hijacked since 2012 and had fallen into severe disrepair after the City of Johannesburg disconnected water and electricity services.<\/p>\n

It was among 57 problematic buildings identified by the Johannesburg Property Owners and Managers Association.<\/p>\n

Remington has long been one of the city\u2019s most notorious hijacked buildings, with authorities previously describing it as unsafe, overcrowded and plagued by unhygienic living conditions and illegal electricity connections.<\/p>\n

Eight years ago, during a City of Johannesburg raid, officials found residents, many of them undocumented migrants, living in squalid conditions. They reported strong odours, poor sanitation, and food being prepared in unhygienic spaces.<\/p>\n

Despite its condition, the structure remained sound, which made redevelopment a viable option. Take Shape Property Management was appointed to take over the R25 million project.<\/p>\n

Eviction proceedings were finalised in November 2023, with approximately 517 occupants relocated to the Denver Temporary Relocation Area.<\/p>\n

Many of the original leaseholders were no longer living in the building, instead subletting units \u2013 often exploiting vulnerable tenants \u2013 while collecting rent without maintaining the property.<\/p>\n

Conditions inside Remington had become hazardous, lacking basic services and posing significant safety risks.<\/p>\n

Take Shape Property Management managing director Solomon Ramalamula said the building was on the brink of disaster, similar to other hijacked properties that have experienced fatal fires in recent years.<\/p>\n

He explained that hijackings typically occur either through organised rent boycotts or coordinated efforts by groups that persuade tenants to stop paying rent, often under the guise of advocacy.<\/p>\n

Remington transformed<\/b><\/p>\n

Today, the Remington building has found a new life and will offer Johannesburg students affordable inner-city accommodation.<\/p>\n

The mixed-use development comprises 7,191 m2, 133 bachelor apartments, 5 ground-floor retail shops, and 14 parking bays.<\/p>\n

It also features a study centre, a gym, a braai area, free laundry facilities, security and access control, and free uncapped wi-fi.<\/p>\n

The development achieved strong EDGE certification results, with energy savings of 27.81%, water savings of 22.40%, and a 51.00% reduction in embodied carbon.<\/p>\n

These efficiencies are supported by a range of resource systems, including centralised heat pumps, a solar installation, filtered borehole water, LED lighting, low-flow fixtures, dual-flush toilets, and optimised facade glazing.<\/p>\n

With rental prices starting from R5,200 per month, Remington offers an affordable housing option to students. The building is also NSFAS-accredited and accepts both bursary and cash-paying students.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt Remington, we believe in creating a second home for our students, where comfort and care go hand-in-hand,\u201d the Remington website explains.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur goal is to provide more than just a place to stay \u2013 we aim to foster a welcoming and supportive community where students can grow both academically and socially.\u201d<\/p>\n

While many hijacked buildings continue to plague the Johannesburg CBD, this transformation signals good progress for the city\u2019s condition.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About South-Africa<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Africa. A previously abandoned and hijacked building in Johannesburg\u2019s central business district (CBD) has been redeveloped into a fully let, affordable student accommodation complex. On 17 April, property expert Ash Mu\u0308ller revealed that an abandoned, hijacked CBD office building, Remington Court, has been fully transformed into a green-certified mixed-use building with affordable rental […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":97453,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[275],"class_list":["post-97454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-community","tag-south-africa-2"],"yoast_head":"\nAbandoned Building Transformed Into Student Housing - South Africa<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A previously abandoned and hijacked building in Johannesburg\u2019s central business district (CBD) has been redeveloped into ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/abandoned-building-transformed-into-student-housing\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Abandoned Building Transformed Into Student Housing\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A previously abandoned and hijacked building in Johannesburg\u2019s central business district (CBD) has been redeveloped into ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/abandoned-building-transformed-into-student-housing\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"South Africa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-18T14:27:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-18T15:16:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/sites\/31\/2026\/04\/sm_1776512388.027021.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/abandoned-building-transformed-into-student-housing#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/abandoned-building-transformed-into-student-housing\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Abandoned Building Transformed Into Student Housing\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-18T14:27:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-18T15:16:03+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/abandoned-building-transformed-into-student-housing\"},\"wordCount\":521,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/abandoned-building-transformed-into-student-housing#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/sites\/31\/2026\/04\/sm_1776512388.027021.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"South-Africa\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"community\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/abandoned-building-transformed-into-student-housing#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/abandoned-building-transformed-into-student-housing\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/abandoned-building-transformed-into-student-housing\",\"name\":\"Abandoned Building Transformed Into Student Housing - 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