At NOWLETTING we are focused on making your experience of renting a home a great one.

This guide will ensure that you have a clear understanding of both your rights and responsibilities as a tenant and those of the landlord. Contact your agent should you have any additional questions.

Finding the right home for you…

Through our large nationwide franchise structure we have the right people looking for your home right now!

We can help you to find a home in your selected area at the best value.

Make a list of your requirements before viewing a prospective home and record the criteria each home needs to meet these needs.

Take the time to explore the surrounding area and check the lifestyle options in the area you prefer.

Our letting agents will arrange a viewing of any property that interests you once you have been through pictures we might have on the properties available.

Sometimes we just don’t have time to take pictures as the properties we look for are usually really in demand and move very fast. So act now!

Ask our letting agent to give you a full breakdown of the monthly rental, including all services, as well as the lease costs for signing the lease and deposit required.

 

Found a home…

When you have chosen a home to rent, you will need to complete a lease agreement with the tenant contact information. You can obtain this from one of our letting agents or from our website.

The tenant contact information requires you to fill in your name, address, id number, employer’s details and the name and contact details of two references and a previous landlord. You will also be required to provide copies of your id and your most recent salary advice [or your last 3 months’ bank statements if you are self-employed]. The completed documentation will be used to formally assess your ability to enter into the rental contract. A credit report will form part of the assessment, and by signing the lease agreement you will be agreeing to the credit history enquiry.

Deposit...

A deposit is necessary to secure the lease, protect the landlord’s investment and to cover any damages caused, or default, during the lease term.

NOWLETTING is registered with the Estate Agency Affairs Board and we operate a trust account in terms of the Estate Agency Affairs Act. This account is audited annually. Sometimes the deposit is paid across to the Landlord who will refund this back to you when your tenancy is complete.

When you vacate your home, and if there are no deductions for damages or repairs in the unit, your deposit will be refunded to you including interest accrued at an interest rate equivalent to Standard Bank’s savings account rate.

Please take time to read the lease and understand all the provisions contained in the document.

The letting agent can explain the lease agreement in detail.

Important issues to focus on are rules of the property concerned; i.e. Allowances for pets, maintenance, the charges which you will be required to pay and the lease terms and escalation clauses.

Your lease agreement is legally binding and totally compliant with the Rental Housing Act.

The lease protects both the landlord and yourself.

The lease ensures that financial issues such as rental increases, deposit and damage claims are dealt with in a fair, transparent and professional manner.

You will be given a copy of the signed lease agreement for your records and reference purposes.

If the home you choose is in an estate and/or sectional title complex, it is important that you are aware of the rules of the body corporate you will be expected to adhere to. A copy of the rules will be given to you by the letting agent with your lease documentation.

What is expected of you...

To pay your rent on or before the 1st of every month without deduction or demand.

To use your home as a private dwelling only.

Not to sublet your home nor any part thereof for either a definite or an indefinite period.

To maintain the your home and to keep it in a good condition at all times.

Not to undertake alterations without prior written permission from the landlord.

Not to overcrowd – (only 2 people per bedroom)

To abide by the house rules at all times.

Not to commit a nuisance.

To return your home in the same condition in which you received it.

What is expected from the Landlord...

Your undisturbed use and enjoyment of your home.

To carry out urgent repairs that interfere with proper use and your enjoyment of the property you have rented. Such repairs should not be merely an inconvenience, but such that make it impossible for your use and enjoyment of the property.

Payment...

Payment of your rental is one of the most important issues to ensure a mutually beneficial relationship with your landlord. Without your payment of the rent the landlord cannot meet his obligations: bond, levy, rates and taxes, insurance, service and administration charges to ensure your continued use of the home.

How, and when, do I pay rental?

For your convenience you may make your monthly rental payment in one of the following ways:

Debit order at any Standard Bank in South Africa

Electronically via Internet banking

Stop order arranged with your own bank on a monthly basis

Rental is due monthly in advance by the 1^st of each month. There are no exceptions to this payment rule!

You will receive a statement receipt. The lease agreement and Payment receipt shows our banking details and clear payment instructions on the reverse side. Please remember to check that your reference is the number and property address which must be captured correctly when Internet payment or debit/stop order. Please make sure that your prior month payment is captured and reflected correctly on your NOWLETTING statement receipt.

Failure to pay, continuous late payment of rent, or withholding payment is a violation of the rental agreement.

Such action gives the landlord the right to cancel the lease. Reminder and final demand letters together with penalty surcharges are levied in the event of delayed rental payment and hence it is very important to ensure that rent is paid promptly and consistently.

Non-payment results in eviction.

Your rights are completely protected and enforced with the help of a Rental Tribunal Hearing if necessary when you make payments.

Written notice of the annual rental increase, which becomes effective from the date stipulated in the lease agreement. The law does not limit the amount by which a landlord may increase the rent however, the rental increase must be reasonable and is usually escalated per annum at 10%.

Moving in and taking handover...

After you have signed your lease and paid the lease fees, deposit and first month’s rental, you will be entitled to move into your new home.

On handover when you are ready to occupy the property you have rented, the letting agent will carry out an initial inspection with you to list any defects or damages the landlord may have to repair.

Even though your home has been inspected by our letting agent and yourself, please report anything which is missing or not working within 3 working days of moving in.

You may request for an inspection at any time during the lease.

The initial inspection will serve as the baseline against which the unit’s condition will be compared when you vacate and when the final inspection is conducted.

We establish relationships with professional companies with whom we can negotiate excellent prices due to the number of homes we refer business to.

If at any time you have a problem with a maintenance item of any kind, please contact our maintenance contacts for assistance.

We endeavor to project manage maintenance issues as time effectively as possible if this is required by the landlord.

Your lease agreement will define who is responsible for the costs of the maintenance items concerned.

When you want to move out you must give written notice. Your lease stipulates the notice period or expiry date of the agreement or the end date of the lease agreement.

Please contact your Letting agent for assistance if you are unsure of what notice period is required in terms of your lease.

Vacating the property...

Your rent and utilities must be up to date.

A final Inspection and key handover will be carried out with you on the last day of the lease or written notice.

The final inspection will validate if the unit is in the same condition as when you moved in.

Any damages during your occupation will be paid for from your deposit at your expense.

Following your final inspection and proof that the utilities has been paid in full or an average estimate paid for the last month’s use, we will commence the process of refunding your deposit.

Your deposit will be refunded to you with interest providing there is no outstanding rental or any damages to the unit.

Your deposit will be refunded as follows:

Within 7 working days provided there are no damages and you were present at the final inspection.

Within 14 working days if there are damages and we need to obtain quotations, and again provided you are present at the final inspection.

Within 21 working days if you are not present at the final inspection and all repairs have been done to the satisfaction of the owner.