Checklist / template
Landlord onboarding checklist
This landlord onboarding checklist walks a managing agent or rental agent through taking on a new landlord and their property from signed mandate to first statement. It covers the mandate, trust banking, property and unit data, existing leases and deposits, fee terms and POPIA consent so nothing slips between the seller and your books. Work through it in order, capture evidence as you go, and don't bill or trade on the mandate until every item below is closed.
For South African managing agents, rental agents, trustees and landlords running or signing up to a managed rental mandate.
Signed mandate and agency authority
- Obtain a written, signed management/letting mandate covering scope, term, notice period and termination terms
- Confirm the agency and the signing agent hold valid Fidelity Fund Certificates under the Property Practitioners Act (PPA s54) before trading on the mandate
- Verify the signatory is the registered owner or holds a resolution/power of attorney to appoint you (check the title deed or company/trust resolution)
- Record whether the mandate is sole or open, and the commission/management fee basis in writing
- File the landlord's FICA identity, proof of address and entity documents for verification
- Diarise the mandate renewal and notice dates so the relationship never lapses unnoticed
Trust banking and money flow
- Confirm rental funds will be held in a Section 54 trust account separate from your business account, as required under the Property Practitioners Act
- Capture the landlord's verified payout bank account and confirm ownership with a recent bank confirmation letter
- Confirm the trust account is reconciled to the cent before the first inbound rent is received
- Agree the payout cycle (date and frequency) and the minimum retention/float, if any, in writing
- Set up reference conventions so each tenant's rent reconciles automatically to the right unit
- Confirm who authorises supplier and landlord payments and the dual-approval threshold
Property and unit details
- Capture the full property address, erf/unit number and, for sectional title, the scheme name and SS number
- Record the property type, number of lettable units and any common-area or shared-meter arrangements
- Confirm whether the property sits in a body corporate or HOA and capture the managing agent or levy contact
- Log municipal account numbers and confirm who pays rates, refuse and shared utilities
- Gather compliance certificates (electrical CoC, gas, electric fence) and diarise expiry dates
- Record bonded/mortgage status and any conditions that affect letting
- Store keys, access fobs, alarm codes and gate/parking allocations against each unit
Existing leases and tenants
- Collect every signed lease and capture start date, end date, escalation and renewal terms per unit
- Confirm each lease complies with the Rental Housing Act, including the required deposit and inspection clauses
- Capture verified tenant contact details and FICA/identity records on file
- Note arrears, payment history and any disputes, payment arrangements or pending evictions
- Confirm whether any lease is month-to-month or expiring soon and flag for renewal action
- Reconcile billed rent and recoveries against the lease schedule so the rent roll matches the documents
Deposits, recoveries and opening balances
- Confirm the value of each tenant deposit and where it is currently held
- Obtain proof of deposit transfer into your trust account and reconcile it to the cent before take-on
- Confirm whether deposits earn interest and how that interest is accounted to the tenant under the Rental Housing Act
- Capture any prepaid rent, credits or outstanding recoveries carried over from the previous agent
- Record opening balances per unit and per tenant as a dated, idempotent take-on journal
- Reconcile the seller's final statement to your opening figures and document every variance
Fees, statements and reporting cadence
- Confirm the management fee, letting/procurement fee and any add-on charges in the signed fee agreement
- Agree the statement cadence and format the landlord will receive, and the recipient email
- Confirm VAT treatment and whether the landlord is VAT-registered
- Set the maintenance approval limit above which the landlord must authorise spend in writing
- Agree how inspection reports and compliance documents are shared with the landlord
- Schedule the first landlord statement and confirm payout timing against the trust cycle
POPIA consent and handover close-out
- Capture the landlord's POPIA consent for processing their and the tenants' personal information for the mandate
- Confirm a lawful basis to migrate tenant data from the outgoing agent and record it
- Set retention and access controls so personal information is only held as long as the mandate requires (POPIA)
- Issue welcome communications to tenants confirming new payment details and contact points
- Complete a take-on review sign-off confirming every section above is closed and evidenced
- Archive the full onboarding pack so the mandate is audit-ready from day one
Run this top to bottom for each new landlord and don't trade on the mandate until the trust banking, deposits and POPIA sections are fully closed and evidenced.
A practical operational checklist, not legal, financial or tax advice — adapt it to your scheme/agency and seek professional advice where needed.