Property to rent in South Africa: houses, flats and townhouses

To apply

• Your ID or passport and proof of your current address, for FICA.
• Three months of payslips, or six months of bank statements if you are self employed. Landlords generally want the rent under a third of your income.
• Your consent to a credit check. If there is a blemish, explain it up front.

The deposit

The deposit and the first month's rent are paid before you move in. The deposit is held in an interest bearing account and the interest is yours, as the Rental Housing Act requires. A written incoming inspection with photographs records the state of the place on day one, so what comes off the deposit at the end is never a matter of one word against another.