Applying For A Rental Property

To fulfill our obligation to our landlord clients, we are required to thoroughly evaluate all rental applications.

We know and understand that this is a very stressful time for applicants will always endeavor to complete the process as quickly as possible, with the understanding that we cannot in any way compromise our processes.

Our goal is to process all rental applications within 1 business day, however, we are dependant on speaking to third parties and contacting them can sometimes be the cause of delay. However, all rental applicants should be informed of the outcome of their application within 2 business days at the latest.

Our evaluation process includes confirming their identity and fulfilling the 'know your client' FICA (Financial Intelligence Centre Act 38 of 2001) requirements, as well as evaluating their ability to afford the property (to minimize the risk of them falling into arrears).

We also follow up with previous landlord/agent references to ascertain their previous rental history and behavior, and last we need to check their credit history to make sure they are financially sound and responsible.

Step 1 - View the rental property

The rental application process starts when a prospective tenant views a rental property. Applications from prospective tenants who have NOT personally viewed the property will NOT be accepted.

A prospective tenant is to view the property thoroughly as the condition of the property will be handed over "as is" at the time of the viewing - unless otherwise agreed and communicated by the rental agent accompanying you at the viewing.

Step 2 - Submit Your Rental Application

If, after viewing a property the prospective tenant wishes to rent it, they are required to complete our Rental Application form. This is required to be completed in full by all persons wishing to be named on the Lease Agreement and/or any persons that will be contributing to paying the rent.

Once the prospective tenant has completed the Rental Application form, they are to submit the completed form and the supporting documents to the appropriate rental agent. Please note the required supporting documentation includes: * copy of ID, * proof of residential address, * as well as FICA (Financial Intelligence Centre Act 38 of 2001) requirements.

Please note that our policy does not allow the evaluation of an application until: * the application form is completed in full by all parties who wish to be on the Lease Agreement, * is initialed and signed by all applicants to the application and, * all supporting documentation has been submitted.

As real estate agents, we are obliged to adhere to the FICA requirements and essentially cannot enter into a lease agreement with a person or entity for whom we cannot fulfill the requirements under the FICA (Financial Intelligence Centre Act 38 of 2001) Act.

Step 3 - We Evaluate Your Rental Application

Once the rental agent has received the completed application and all supporting documentation, our application processing team takes over and thoroughly evaluates the application.

The first check is the applicant/s financial affordability. If the affordability criteria and FICA are reached we then diligently follow up on references, including previous landlords and current employers, to confirm that the information provided in the application form is accurate, and the applicant/s history.
Interviewing the applicant/s previous landlords is to allow us to get feedback on their previous behaviour evaluation as a tenant, which provides us with critical information for our decision-making process.

If the applicant/s references are positive and pass our criteria, we then move on to the last step in the process, which is a check of the applicant/s credit history through a recognized credit bureau. This information includes their credit history relevant to renting property, their current financial obligations and any issues that may have cropped up in the past concerning credit and repayment issues.

Step 4 - We Consult with Our Landlord Client

Once we are confident that an applicant is suitable and has passed all the credit checks and balances, we then present the application to the landlord for their approval.

We do this more as a formality than anything else as we now have a thorough evaluation of the prospective tenant to present to the landlord.

We also confirm all the terms and conditions of the lease agreement (monthly rent, utility deposit, term of the lease, etc) with the landlord to ensure that we are on the same page and to avoid any misunderstandings.

Step 5 We Advise Applicant/s of the Outcome of their Rental Application

Securing a good rental property is stressful and we are acutely aware of this and of the fact that applicants want to know the outcome as soon as possible. We will endeavor to inform you of the result of your application as soon as possible, but we cannot in any way circumvent the application evaluation process, or take any shortcuts in the rental application process.

Another important point to take into consideration is that more often than not there is more than one application in for a rental property. Obviously, there can only be one successful applicant, therefore please do not assume that an unsuccessful result is in any way a negative reflection of you, it might be that there was a more suitable applicant, in our or the Landlords opinion, or that another application has been received and processed before yours.

All applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application as soon as possible.