Let us tackle these tedious tasks
Category Renting
You may be aware that Property to Link manages rentals on behalf of owners and/or landlords, but did you know that we can also help to find potential lessees if owners want to be in charge of their own rentals? We offer both a Placement as well as Management service.
Option 1: Placement service
If you decide to use Property to Link's Placement service to find a suitable candidate for your rental property, our team will take care of the following aspects:
We will assign you with your own personal Property Professional who will find the right person by doing all the necessary checks and balances.
A full screening will be done by Property to Link regarding the individual's finances and background to make sure that the individual is creditworthy.
Second, your personal Property Professional will complete all the legal documentation and contracts on your behalf. This includes filling out a lease agreement and obtaining documentation that is necessary for both the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA) as well as Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).
Your Property Professional will then arrange with the new tenant to pay the deposit directly into the owner's or landlord's bank account.
The owner or landlord is then responsible to put the deposit in an interest bearing bank account.
Lastly, the lessee will receive an invoice and has to pay Property to Link directly for services rendered (an Admin/Placement fee), while the owner or landlord will have to relinquish the first month's rent to Property to Link. This will then be the end of our Placement service.
- Please note: The owner will be responsible to do a first (entry) and exit inspection with the tenant present (in person). The owner or landlord can request an entry or exit inspection but extra costs will incur (this will be for the owner's account).
- The owner is responsible to pay back the lessee's deposit and the acquired interest earned on the deposit. The lessee may request a bank statement for the period.
- According to the Consumer Protection Act, a tenant may give a month's notice (i.e. 20 working days notice according to law).
- The owner or landlord has to get the rent himself/herself directly from the tenant from the second month of leasing and thereafter.
- Property to Link is not responsible for sorting out any maintenance issues or management work.
- The owner and/or landlord will need to comply with FICA and POPIA requirements as well.
Option 2: Management service
Our Property Professionals can also manage a property on behalf of an owner and/or landlord. If you decide to use our Management service, Property to Link will take care of the following:
Similar to our Placement service, Property to Link will assign you with your own personal Property Professional who will find the best candidate for your rental property by doing all the checks and balances.
A full screening will be done by Property to Link regarding the person's finances and background to make sure that the candidate is creditworthy.
Second, your personal Property Professional will complete all the legal documentation and contracts. This includes filling out a lease agreement and obtaining documents that are necessary for both FICA and POPIA.
Your Property Professional will then do an entrance inspection with the new tenant in person. He/she will also get the deposit and first month's rent on behalf of the owner.
The owner will then received the agreed upon
rental amount at month's end, while the deposit will be paid into Property to Link's bank account for safekeeping.
The new lessee will receive an invoice and is responsible to pay an Admin/Placement fee for services rendered (such as the cost for a credit check).
Included in our Management service is an exit inspection once the tenant vacates the property.
Other important points:
- The norm is that the tenant pays for everything that he/she uses. Normally a tenant is responsible for the water, electricity and sanitation bills. The owner has to pay the rates, levies (if it is a sectional title unit) and property taxes.
- If an emergency situation occurs and a plumber or electrician, for example, has to be called out, Property to Link will instruct our in-house maintenance team to take care of the issue. The owner and/or landlord will then receive an invoice and has to pay the service provider, in this case Property to Link, directly.
Author: Machelene Joubert