How do I check if a rental agent is registered in South Africa?
Ask the agent for their Fidelity Fund Certificate and check with the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA) that the agent and the agency are registered and the certificate is valid. An agent who cannot or will not show it should not be handling your deposit.
Fake agents copy the names and logos of real agencies. That is why you check the person, not just the agency: the certificate is issued to the individual agent as well as the firm.
How to check
- Ask for the agent's full name and their Fidelity Fund Certificate number.
- Check the name and the certificate with the PPRA.
- Phone the agency on the number from its official website, not from the advert, and ask whether the person works there.
- Visit the agency's office if you can.
- Pay deposits only into the agency's trust account, never into a personal account.
Frequently asked questions
- The agent says they are a private landlord's representative, not an agent. Does that change anything?
- Then you deal with the owner: check the owner on the title deed and pay the owner, not the representative.
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