Perhaps you're relocating.
Maybe you've bought another home.
Perhaps you're moving in with somebody, downsizing or simply looking at the property differently.
Or maybe the bond is becoming uncomfortable and you're wondering whether a tenant could help carry the property.
Whatever brought you here, you've reached an important property decision:
If renting looks attractive, there is another decision immediately behind it:
First decide whether keeping the property actually makes sense.
Renting should be a considered property strategy — not simply something you do because you are reluctant to sell.
From “I want to rent it out” to “the tenancy is running”.
Assess the rent
Establish what suitable tenants are realistically likely to pay for your specific property.
Prepare the property
Deal with necessary repairs, presentation and anything that could interfere with a successful tenancy.
Market it
Present the property properly and make it easy for suitable applicants to enquire and view.
Screen applicants
Assess affordability, supporting information, references and overall risk before approval.
Document the tenancy
Complete the lease, required records, deposit process and move-in administration.
Manage what follows
Rent collection, statements, maintenance, communication, renewals and eventual exit all still need management.
How much rent should you charge?
This is usually the first number a new landlord wants.
It is also one of the easiest numbers to get wrong.
Setting the rent too low can unnecessarily reduce your income.
Setting it too high can increase vacancy and leave you paying every property expense yourself while waiting for a tenant who may never arrive.
Rental income and rental profit are not the same thing.
Suppose your property rents for R10,000.
That does not mean the property is producing R10,000 in profit.
You may still be responsible for costs such as:
That does not mean rent has to cover every rand for keeping the property to make sense.
It means you should know what your actual position is.
Work Through the Rental NumbersGet the property ready before you start looking for the tenant.
There is little value in finding a tenant quickly if the property is not ready for occupation.
Walk through it as if you were viewing it for the first time.
A rental advert has one job: attract suitable enquiries.
Good rental marketing is not about writing the longest description possible.
Prospective tenants want to know what they are actually considering.
Accurate advertising helps reduce unsuitable enquiries before they become applications.
Finding someone who wants the property is the easy part.
The bigger question is whether you want to enter into a rental agreement with that applicant.
A prospective tenant may look excellent at a viewing and still require proper assessment.
Screening can consider relevant information such as:
- identity information;
- employment information;
- income verification;
- affordability;
- credit information where lawfully obtained;
- rental history;
- references; and
- supporting-document consistency.
What if the first person who applies looks good?
Then screen them.
If the first applicant produces a strong, complete and satisfactory application, there is no rule saying you must keep the property vacant while waiting for applicants two, three and four.
But approving them simply because they were first is also not a sensible screening method.
“First” should not be the reason they are the right tenant.
You don't have to choose between “do everything myself” and “give everything to an agent”.
You may already know somebody interested in the property.
You may have advertised privately and found your own applicant.
A+ Properties can still assist with selected parts of the process.
The lease is not paperwork you do after agreeing everything on WhatsApp.
The lease should clearly record the important terms of the tenancy.
Depending on the property and arrangement, matters may include:
A properly documented tenancy gives both landlord and tenant a clearer starting point.
Treat the deposit as somebody else's money.
A rental deposit is not extra rent for the landlord to spend.
It forms part of the tenancy's financial administration and must be handled correctly.
The process should be clear from the beginning:
“The property was perfect when they moved in” is not an inspection record.
A properly documented incoming condition record protects both sides.
It creates evidence of the property's condition at the beginning of the tenancy.
The work does not end when the tenant gets the keys.
That is when the tenancy actually starts.
There is more than one way to be a landlord.
Ask yourself what happens when…
Self-management should not mean informal management.
Keep financial breathing room.
Rental property does not produce perfectly predictable cash flow every month.
A sensible landlord should consider what happens when:
If one bad month would immediately put you into serious financial difficulty, that is worth recognising before the tenancy begins.
Can you answer these ten questions?
Our job is not simply to find a person willing to pay rent.
It is to help create a properly structured tenancy.
That starts with realistic rental pricing, proper marketing and informed tenant selection.
If we manage the property, it continues through rental administration, communication, maintenance, renewals and the eventual end of the tenancy.
Useful guides before you hand over the keys
Why Finding the Right Tenant Matters
Vacancy costs money, but a poor placement can cost much more.
Should You Accept the First Tenant?
The first applicant may be excellent. Being first is simply not the qualification.
Should You Become a Landlord?
Check whether both the property and the owner fit the landlord strategy.
Start with the rental assessment — not the advert.
Tell us about your property and how involved you want to be. We can help with rental pricing, tenant placement, applicant screening, lease administration, ongoing management or selected landlord-support services.