HOW DOES POCKETLET WORK COMPARED TO A TRADITIONAL RENTAL AGENT?
PocketLet saves tenants and landlords money by making renting a more efficient and transparent process without the usual middleman. As a tenant you will get to deal with the landlord directly from day one. When you enquire about a property we will send you the landlord’s details and send your details to them. You can then contact the landlord directly to discuss the property and arrange a viewing.
DO I HAVE TO PAY ANY ADMIN FEES IF I FIND A PROPERTY WITH YOU?
The only fee PocketLet charges tenants is for our comprehensive screening service. The fee for screening is R450 (Inc VAT) charged to the tenant per individual tenant and guarantor. We don’t charge any other “admin” fees or any renewal fees.
CAN I HAVE THE LANDLORD’S PHONE NUMBER?
If you have seen a property you’re interested in via a property portal such as Property24, PrivateProperty or Gumtree, you can enquire directly on the advert by clicking ‘Request Details’ and filling in your contact information or calling the number in the ad.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I CAN’T GET IN CONTACT WITH THE LANDLORD?
We encourage our landlords to act professionally and contact every enquiring tenant even if the property has been let. Our landlords may receive many enquiries for their property and it may take some time for them to get back to you.
CAN YOU HELP ME FIND A PROPERTY IN A PARTICULAR AREA?
You can search the properties we currently have available here (link to property search page).
HOW DO I SET UP A VIEWING?
You can set up a viewing with the landlord directly. PocketLet does not arrange or carry out viewings on behalf of landlords.
WHAT DOES YOUR SCREENING SERVICE COVER?
There are 4 parts to our referencing service:
Affordability: where your salary or, if there are multiple tenants, combined salaries need to cover 3 times the annual rent. You can check this yourself by calculating your annual salary plus savings, bonuses or commission to see if covers the monthly rent x 12 (annual rent) x 3. For example;
Monthly rent: R6000 pm
R6000 x 12 = R72 000 x 3
= R216 000
Your salary R120 000
Your partner’s salary R90 000
Annual bonuses: R6000
= R216 000
Credit check: We will need to run a credit check on your file which will highlight bad credit history. If you know you have bad credit history you should disclose this to the landlord before referencing begins
Reference – current employee: We need to double check the salary and contract information you’ve given us is accurate so we will contact your employer for a reference.
Reference – previous landlords: We will need to speak to your previous landlord or the rental agent to ensure there was no adverse behaviour (i.e. extensive damage to the property) or unpaid rent.
HOW LONG DOES THE SCREENING TAKE?
We’ll typically take 1-2 working days to complete a tenant screening, but this will depend on all information being provided to us and that we can get hold of your references.
HOW DO I PAY FOR THE TENANT SCREENING?
We will send you a link by email to make the payment of R450 charged to the tenant for screening online.
WHEN DO I PAY MY FIRST MONTH’S RENT AND DEPOSIT?
If your landlord is using PocketLet to draw up the lease agreement, you will make payment of the first month’s rent and deposit only once you have viewed a copy of the lease agreement and are happy with the terms. A member of our team will call you to confirm your details and will then send you a payment link.
WHEN DO I SIGN THE AGREEMENT?
You sign the agreement once your payment of the first month’s rent and deposit has cleared into our account. You will see a copy of the agreement before you make payment and will speak to a member of the team if you have any questions.
WHAT IS ECHOSIGN?
EchoSign (Adobe Document Cloud) is service that allows users to review and sign documents electronically. Landlords and tenants are able to view their tenancy agreement and suggest changes – or sign the document – from anywhere, using any device, including tablets and smartphones.
By using EchoSign to manage the signature process, we significantly decrease the amount of time required for the involved parties to sign a tenancy agreement, ensuring a smooth and efficient administration process.
I’VE MOVED OUT, WHEN WILL I GET MY DEPOSIT BACK?
Your deposit will be returned to you within 7, 14, or 21 days according to the terms of the Rental Housing Act. The landlord may propose deductions to the deposit for cleaning, damages or unpaid rent (this is assessed by comparing the inspection form at move-in to the move-out) and provided you agree with this, the money will be in your account within the stipulated days.