How to Screen Tenants in South Africa: The Complete 2026 Guide

Choosing the wrong tenant is one of the most expensive mistakes a South African landlord can make. Between lost rent, legal fees, and property damage, a single bad tenancy can cost upwards of R50,000 — yet studies suggest that roughly 60% of private landlords in SA don’t screen tenants at all.

This guide walks you through every step of how to screen tenants in South Africa properly, from the first enquiry to the signed lease, so you can protect your investment and sleep easier at night.

Why Tenant Screening Matters More Than Ever

South Africa’s rental market is under pressure. The TPN Rental Monitor consistently reports that between 12% and 18% of tenants are in arrears at any given time. For landlords without a screening process, that figure is almost certainly higher.

Screening isn’t about being distrustful — it’s about making an informed decision with someone else’s money on the line (yours). A structured vetting process helps you:

Predict payment reliability before handing over the keys
Verify identity and catch fraudulent applications
Reduce eviction risk and the legal costs that come with it
Comply with POPIA and the Rental Housing Act from day one

Step 1: Require a Written Application

Before running any checks, have every prospective tenant complete a standard application form. This should collect:

Full legal name and SA ID number (or passport for foreign nationals)
Current and previous addresses (at least two years)
Employer name, position, and contact details
Monthly gross income
Number of occupants
Reason for moving
Two references (ideally a previous landlord and an employer)

A written application creates a paper trail and gives you the information you need for the steps that follow.

Step 2: Verify Identity

Identity fraud is a real risk in South African rentals. At minimum, you should:

Request a certified copy of the applicant’s ID (or passport and valid visa)
Cross-reference the ID number with the application details
Use an ID verification service — platforms like Indlu run automated Home Affairs checks to confirm the ID is valid and matches the applicant

Never accept a lease deposit or sign a lease without verifying who you’re dealing with.

Step 3: Run a Credit Check

A credit check is the backbone of tenant screening. In South Africa, the three main credit bureaux are:

TPN — the dominant bureau for rental-specific data, including previous tenancy payment history
TransUnion — broad consumer credit data, widely used in SA
Experian — international bureau with strong SA presence

Each bureau holds different data, so a tenant might appear clean with one and have red flags with another. Ideally, you want to check at least two. Read our detailed guide on TPN credit checks to understand what each report tells you and what the scores mean.

What to look for:

Payment profile — Are they paying existing debts on time?
Judgments and defaults — Any court orders or handed-over accounts?
Debt-to-income ratio — Can they actually afford your rent after existing obligations?
Previous tenancy data (TPN) — Have they been flagged by a previous landlord?

Important: Under POPIA, you must obtain the tenant’s written consent before running any credit check. Our POPIA guide for landlords explains exactly what consent you need and how to document it.

Step 4: Confirm Employment and Income

A credit check tells you about past behaviour; employment verification tells you about current ability to pay. You should:

Call the employer directly using a number you find independently (not the one on the application — it could be a friend’s number)
Request the latest three months’ payslips and compare them against the stated salary
Ask for bank statements covering the same period — these are harder to forge than payslips and show actual cash flow

The general rule is that rent should not exceed 30% of gross monthly income. If the applicant’s rent-to-income ratio is above this, proceed with caution — even if their credit score is decent.

For self-employed applicants, request:

Latest financial statements or tax returns
Three to six months of bank statements
A letter from their accountant confirming income

Step 5: Contact Previous Landlords

Speaking to a previous landlord is one of the most underrated screening steps. Ask:

Did the tenant pay rent on time?
Was the property returned in good condition?
Were there any disputes or complaints?
Would you rent to this person again?

Pro tip: Contact the landlord before the most recent one. The current landlord might give a glowing reference just to get rid of a problem tenant.

Step 6: Conduct an Affordability Assessment

Beyond the 30% rule, a thorough affordability assessment considers:

Existing debt obligations (vehicle finance, personal loans, store accounts)
Essential living expenses (transport, school fees, medical aid)
The deposit and first month’s rent — can they cover the upfront costs without strain?

If the numbers don’t add up, it doesn’t matter how charming the applicant is. The maths has to work.

Step 7: Check for Red Flags

Throughout the process, watch for warning signs:

Reluctance to provide documentation — legitimate tenants expect to be screened
Inconsistencies between the application, payslips, and bank statements
Frequent moves without clear reasons (job relocation is fine; disputes with multiple landlords are not)
Pressure to move in immediately — urgency can indicate they’ve been evicted elsewhere
Offering to pay several months upfront — this can be a tactic to avoid scrutiny

None of these are automatic disqualifiers, but they warrant deeper investigation.

DIY Screening vs Using a Platform

You can absolutely run this process yourself. Here’s what it looks like:

Task	DIY	With Indlu
Application form	Create your own	Built-in digital form
ID verification	Manual check	Automated Home Affairs check
Credit check (single bureau)	R50-R150 per applicant	Included in plan
Multi-bureau check	R150-R400+ per applicant	Included (TPN + TransUnion + Experian)
Employment verification	Phone calls, manual review	Guided workflow + AI document analysis
Reference checks	Phone calls	Structured reference collection
Affordability modelling	Spreadsheet calculations	Automated AI assessment
POPIA consent	Draft your own form	Auto-generated, logged
Total cost per applicant	R200-R500+ and 3-5 hours	Included from R99/mo

The DIY route works if you have one property and plenty of time. But if you’re managing multiple units or screening several applicants per vacancy, the manual approach quickly becomes unsustainable.

What Happens After Screening?

Once you’ve completed your checks and selected a tenant:

Document your decision — keep screening records for at least 12 months (POPIA requires you to justify data retention)
Notify unsuccessful applicants — a brief, professional decline is sufficient; you don’t need to share detailed reasons
Prepare the lease — ensure it’s Rental Housing Act compliant
Conduct a joint move-in inspection — document the property’s condition before handover
Collect the deposit into an interest-bearing account

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I refuse a tenant based on their credit score? Yes, provided your decision is based on legitimate financial criteria and not on discriminatory grounds (race, gender, religion, etc.). A poor credit score is a valid reason to decline an application.

Do I need the tenant’s permission to run a credit check? Yes. Under POPIA, you must obtain explicit written consent before accessing anyone’s credit information. Running a check without consent is a criminal offence.

How much does tenant screening cost? Individual credit checks range from R50 to R150 per bureau. A comprehensive multi-bureau check with ID verification can cost R300-R500 per applicant. Indlu includes unlimited screening from R99/mo.

What if the tenant has no credit history? A thin credit file isn’t necessarily a red flag — it’s common among younger renters and foreign nationals. In these cases, lean more heavily on employment verification, bank statements, and references.

Should I screen tenants referred by someone I trust? Always. Personal referrals are a great starting point, but they’re not a substitute for objective verification. The tenant who’s lovely at braais might be terrible at paying rent.

Screen your next tenant in minutes — not days. Try Indlu’s AI-powered screening from R99/mo.