South Africa’s rental market is booming — and so is rental fraud. From fake payslips and stolen IDs to professional scammers who disappear overnight, landlords and property agents face growing risks when letting out residential or commercial space.
The good news? Tenant scams are preventable — if you take the time to verify, trace, and investigate your potential tenants thoroughly before handing over the keys. This 2025 guide will walk you through everything you need to know about vetting tenants in South Africa using property data, credit reports, and ID verification tools from Simply Solitude.
💣 Tenant Fraud in South Africa: A Growing Risk
According to recent statistics from the Tenant Profile Network (TPN), over 27% of South African tenants were in arrears at some point in the last year. But the deeper issue is the increasing sophistication of rental scams, which include:
- Fake ID documents or stolen identities
- Forged proof of employment or payslips
- Ghost tenants who sublet without permission
- Lease hopping tenants who never intend to pay long-term
- Fraudulent bank statements or credit references
💡 Scammers target unsuspecting landlords — especially those who rent privately without using a letting agent or proper verification service.
🧠 Why Vetting Tenants Matters (Beyond Just Income)
Renting out property is not just about finding someone who “can pay.” It’s about risk management. The wrong tenant can cost you:
- Months of lost rent
- Property damage
- Legal eviction costs
- Emotional stress
- Reduced property value
Prevention is better than eviction.
Tenant vetting helps you confirm:
✅ Identity
✅ Employment and income
✅ Creditworthiness
✅ Rental behaviour
✅ Contactability
✅ Whether the person owns or is linked to property
🧾 Step-by-Step: How to Properly Vet a Tenant in South Africa
Here’s your step-by-step tenant screening checklist using Simply Solitude’s digital tools:
🔹 1. Start with an ID Verification
You need to confirm who you’re dealing with. Many tenant scams begin with a fake or stolen identity.
Use Simply Solitude’s:
🔍 ID Verification Tool
🕵️ ID Verification + Trace Tool
What it checks:
- ID number validity (13-digit SA ID)
- Name and surname match
- Alive/deceased status
- Citizenship status
- Optional: links to contact numbers, addresses
📌 Why this matters: If someone uses a deceased or forged ID, your contract could be unenforceable — and you’ll struggle to trace them once they disappear.
🔹 2. Pull a Full Credit Profile
This is the gold standard in tenant vetting. A tenant may seem polite and well-dressed — but their credit score tells the real story.
Use Simply Solitude’s:
📈 Credit Profile + ID Verification
What you’ll see:
- Credit score and bureau grade
- Defaults and judgments
- Payment behaviour (arrears, delinquencies)
- Employer info and address history
- Linked contact numbers
💡 Pro tip: Look for signs of consistent payment, stable employment, and any legal judgments. A single bad debt isn’t a red flag — a pattern of defaults is.
🔹 3. Check for Property Ownership or Rental History
A hidden gem in tenant screening is seeing if your applicant owns property or is linked to other addresses — it tells you:
- If they have existing mortgage obligations
- If they’re using a fake address
- If they have undisclosed rental history
Use Simply Solitude’s:
🏘️ Property Ownership Report
What it shows:
- Linked property (registered owner name)
- Erf details and title deed
- Municipal area
- Bond holder details (if applicable)
📌 Why this matters: Some tenants pose as renters when they’re trying to hide assets during divorce or maintenance disputes — or they’re subletting illegally.
🔹 4. Verify Contact Information with a Trace Report
Scammers often use burner phones or fake emails. Before signing the lease, confirm the tenant is reachable, traceable, and legitimate.
Use Simply Solitude’s:
🔎 ID + Trace Contact Report
It gives you:
- Known mobile numbers
- Previous addresses
- Employer history
- National fraud markers (if flagged)
💡 Pro tip: If their listed job doesn’t show up or the phone number is unregistered, you’ve got a red flag.
🔹 5. Ask for Supporting Documents — and Cross-Check Them
Ask for:
- ID copy
- 3 months’ payslips
- 3 months’ bank statements
- Employment letter or HR contact
- References from previous landlord(s)
Then cross-check the name, employer, and salary with the credit report and ID verification results.
📌 Many scam tenants fabricate payslips using online templates — if the employer info doesn’t match the credit bureau, walk away.
🚩 Red Flags to Watch For When Screening Tenants
Here are common indicators that a tenant may be dishonest:
| Red Flag | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Unwilling to share ID or credit info | Trying to hide something. |
| Credit profile shows multiple defaults | History of not paying bills. |
| Fake or unclear payslips | Possible income misrepresentation. |
| No clear rental history | May be skipping landlords due to disputes. |
| ID belongs to a deceased person | Identity fraud risk. |
| Conflicting personal information | Data mismatch = untrustworthy. |
🛑 Real-World Examples of Tenant Scams in SA
🎭 “Professional Squatter”
A woman applied to rent a R12,000/month flat in Cape Town. She provided clean-looking payslips, but a Simply Solitude credit check showed multiple defaults and legal judgments. She had a record of eviction from five previous landlords. Disaster averted.
👻 “Ghost ID Scam”
A young man used a deceased relative’s ID number to rent a house in Pretoria. A week after moving in, he vanished — leaving R25,000 in damage. The ID was flagged instantly via Simply Solitude’s Deceased Check.
💼 Can You Legally Vet Tenants in South Africa?
Yes — but under POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act), you must:
- Inform the applicant that you’ll run checks
- Get written consent before pulling credit reports
- Use the data only for leasing purposes
📌 Simply Solitude provides POPIA-compliant tools with secure data handling and fast reliable results.
📊 What Landlords & Agencies Should Always Do
Best practices for every property rental:
✅ Run ID + credit verification BEFORE lease signing
✅ Collect consent forms and store securely
✅ Keep digital reports in a secure folder
✅ Confirm references (call employers and landlords)
✅ Use a proper lease with breach/eviction clauses
✅ Periodically re-check during the lease term if suspicious behaviour arises
📣 How Simply Solitude Helps You Stay Safe
We offer a complete toolbox for landlords, letting agents, legal firms, and property investors:
| Service | Purpose |
|---|---|
| ID Verification | Confirm the tenant is who they say they are. |
| Credit Profile + ID Match | Assess risk of non-payment. |
| ID + Contact Trace | Find real phone, address, employer. |
| Property Ownership Report | Reveal property assets or address fraud. |
| Deceased Status Check | Avoid fake or stolen IDs. |
📍 All reports are delivered digitally.
📍 Pay-per-report — no monthly subscriptions required.
🛒 Browse the Simply Solitudes shops: Simply Solitude Services
📧 Need help? Email us: johan@simplysolitude.com
📞 Call: 082 215 7674