YOUR PROPERTY managed

Your rental
management specialists

20 years of rental management

Why choose us to manage your rental property?

We know how

We specialise in rentals and rental management and have a long client list of satisfied property owners. This is our primary business and we have a dedicated team of Portfolio Managers and sophisticated property management IT systems to professionally manage your rental property.

20 Years of experience

We also know and understand the complex laws and legislation governing this industry and this knowledge, guidance and assistance can make the difference between a very successful property investment or a costly failure with plenty of heartache and frustration for an owner.
Frequently asked questions

Rental Management means that Etchells & Young manages the day-to-day aspects of your rental property and takes the “hassle” out of your hands. Dealing with all aspects relating to your tenant such as collecting the rental, dealing with maintenance queries, liaising with the body corporate and then, subject to your requirements, paying levies, water & electricity etc on your behalf before paying the balance of the rental over to you. We also manage the financial aspects of your rental and are able to do full reconciliations of your account.

a guide for landlords

What all landlords should know

What all landlords should know about renting and managing property. What you must do, may do, should do and must not do to ensure a rewarding and satisfying rental experience for both you and your tenant.

Get your property ready to rent

When deciding to rent out your property, put yourself in the shoes of your 'ideal' tenant. What condition would you expect your property to be in if you were going to view it and move in?

Finding you the right tenant

How we find and place, quality, paying tenants. How to price your rental correctly and how we screen potential tenants to ensure that your property is well looked after and rent is paid in full and on time every month.

Legalities of renting your property

Etchells & Young provide a legally binding, 100% fully compliant lease agreement which has been drafted with the landlords best interests at heart. Typical questions asked by landlords and the answers thereto.

Handling the tenants deposit

How the tenants deposit must be handled in terms of the Rental Housing Act (RHA). The time frames in which you have to refund a deposit after the tenant vacates, and correct use of the tenants deposit.

Rental inspections

The (RHA) Rental Housing Act requires that a joint inspection between the tenant and the landlord (or agent) be conducted before the tenant moves in as well as when the tenant vacates. How to properly conduct lawful property inspections.
exit-inspection

Landlord and tenant obligations

The landlord and tenant have certain legal obligations to fulfill during the lease period. What are these responsibilities and which applicable to the landlord/tenant during the lease period.

Renewing the lease

What are the landlords and tenants obligations in terms of the (CPA) Consumer Protection Act when it comes to renewing the lease at the end of the initial rental period. How to go about renewing a lease agreement with the current tenant.

South African property legislation

If you, as the landlord, are not 100% informed and fully compliant with the laws and regulations that govern this industry, you risk being exposed to potentially unscrupulous claims.
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ultimate landlord guide

Introduction

Finding and placing a good tenant is quick and easy, right?

We have built our success on the principle that correctly screening and placing quality tenants prevents a whole array of problems down the line. But it does go further than that too. Doing all you can to build and nurture a good, rewarding relationship between yourself and your tenant will make it that much easier to resolve the inevitable issues that crop up when people have differing objectives during the renting process.
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Get your property ready to rent

Is your rental property ready for your new tenant?

When getting your property ready to rent, pay special attention to the following:

Security

Electrical + Plumbing
Outdoor areas
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Finding the ideal tenant

Why it is crucial to ensure that your rental property is competitively priced

How we ensure good quality, paying tenants with our stringent tenant screening process:

Credit bureau and TPN checks

Our applications department complete a comprehensive credit bureau and criminal check using TPN (Tenant Profile Network), with access to the tenant's profile and rental payment patterns.

Confirm tenant's employment

Verify tenant's salary

Verify the tenant's bank account

Obtain landlord references

Why Etchells & Young

How will the ideal tenant find your rental property?
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FAQ'S answered

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Handling the tenant deposit

The Rental Housing Act regulates the treatment of the tenant's deposit.

Time frames for refunding the tenants deposit

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Rental inspections

The purpose of doing an entry inspection

Purpose of the exit inspection

Fair wear and tear vs damage

Handling repairs due to damages
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Landlord and tenant duties

The Tenant has the right not to have:

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Their person or home searched.
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Their property searched.
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Their possessions seized (except in terms of the law with a court order).
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The privacy of their communications infringed upon.

The tenant's duties in terms of maintenance and repairs

The tenant has the responsibility to dispose of garbage and waste in a safe and clean manner (per municipal services and containers/bins provided). To maintain the property in a clean, tidy and safe state, and to use all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, and other facilities and appliances in a reasonable manner.

The tenant must refrain from intentionally or negligently damaging the property or common property (intentional and negligent damage is for the tenant’s account).

Maintain, replace or repair electrical globes, fittings and switches as well as being liable for all water-borne taps, stoves, locks, handles and windows. Maintain and keep the garden neat and tidy (if applicable). Maintain the swimming pool, including pumps, hoses and accessories, subject to fair wear and tear (if applicable).

The Landlord’s rights

Landlord's duties
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Renewing your tenants lease

Determining whether to renew the current lease

The Landlords obligations in terms of the Consumer Protection Act

You are required to notify the tenant in writing not more than 80 days, nor less than 40 business days before the end of the lease of its impending expiry date.  If you do not wish to continue or renew the lease, you must intentionally notify the tenant of this and invite them to an exit inspection within 3 days of the expiry of the lease.

Should you wish for the lease to continue, you must invite them to renew the lease and then include in the above notice any material changes. Such changes may include an increase in rent and deposit, or any other changes to the lease that would apply if the agreement is renewed. In addition, changes may include advising the tenant of the options available to him to either accept the renewal for another fixed period, cancel the agreement without penalty on the expiry date, or continue on a month-to-month basis, subject to your material changes.

If neither the tenant nor the landlord has directly expressed the intent to renew or terminate the lease by the expiry date, the lease will automatically continue on a month-to-month basis until such time that the tenant or landlord expressly direct the termination or renewal of  the agreement OR the tenant has agreed to the renewal of the lease for a further fixed term.

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South African property legislation

Criminal offenses in terms of the Rental Housing Act:

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Not attaching a defects list to the lease.
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Not attaching house rules to the lease.
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Non-compliance with a Rental Housing Tribunal ruling, or attempting to deceive them.
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Unlawfully locking a tenant out or shutting off utilities – spoliation is a criminal offence!
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Not repaying a tenant's deposit and interest.
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Not providing a habitable dwelling (i.e. failure to do required maintenance and repairs).
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Not reducing a lease to writing.

The Rental Housing Act (RHA)

This Act regulates the relationship between landlords and tenants and it provides for dispute resolution by the Rental Housing Tribunal. It was brought about to protect the rights of the landlord and the tenants alike. The Bill was amended in 2014 and it is important to familiarise yourself with some of the more notable changes to the Act and how they affect you as the landlord or tenant.

The Consumer Protection Act (CPA)

An Act to promote a fair, accessible and sustainable marketplace for consumer products and services and for that purpose to establish national norms and standards relating to consumer protection. To provide for improved standards of consumer information and to prohibit certain unfair marketing and business practices.

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The Financial Intelligence Center Act (FICA)

The act exists to prevent money laundering, fraud, tax evasion, financing of terrorism & other related criminal activity that aims to misuse our financial systems. The Act requires certain accountable institutions such as Banks, Estate agents and Attorneys to validate and verify their client's identity before a business transaction can take place

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Let the experts manage your rental property

Experienced portfolio managers
Established maintenance team
Sophisticated rental management software
Strict tenant screening process
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What our clients say about us
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