Legal

Terms, Policies & POPIA Notice

Last updated: 1 January 2026 · Governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.

1. About TenancyCo

TenancyCo ("we", "us", "the Platform") is a South African property-management platform purpose-built for student accommodation and small-to-medium landlords. By creating an account you ("the User") enter into a binding agreement with TenancyCo and agree to these Terms, our Privacy Policy and our Acceptable Use Policy (together, the "Agreement").

2. Eligibility & Accounts

  • You must be at least 18 years old and legally able to contract in South Africa.
  • You must provide accurate information, including your full name, South African ID number, phone, email and a valid invite or staff code.
  • You are responsible for keeping your password and account credentials secure.
  • One person, one account. Accounts are non-transferable.

3. Features We Provide

The Platform currently provides the following features. Availability may vary by role and pilot status:

  • Account & invite system — landlord, tenant and staff sign-up via unit invite codes and staff codes.
  • Landlord dashboard — manage units, tenants, rent, billing, maintenance, applicants, inspections, deposits, arrears and notifications.
  • Tenant dashboard — view rent, request prepaid tokens, log meter readings, message unitmates, manage notification preferences.
  • Unitmates module — shared communication and coordination between co-tenants in the same unit.
  • Prepaid electricity workflow — meter readings, token requests, balance tracking and electricity logs.
  • Rent & billing — rent ledger, invoicing and payment status.
  • Arrears management — overdue tracking, Day 3 / 7 / 14 / 30 reminders, and generation of a Letter of Demand template for landlord review.
  • Applicant management — capture applicant information, review applications and record decisions before tenancy. No external credit-bureau screening is currently integrated.
  • Inspections — entry and exit checklists with dual-signature capture.
  • Deposits & Interest — The Platform can track deposit balances and calculate illustrative interest using a rate configured by the landlord. The applicable rate should reflect the rate earned on the interest-bearing account in which the deposit is held.
  • Maintenance requests — log, triage and resolve issues; flag emergencies.
  • Emergency alerts — high-priority alert center for safety-related incidents.
  • In-app notifications — alerts and activity updates inside the Platform.
  • Compliance documents — downloadable letters and reports for record-keeping.

Online PayFast payment functionality is currently in sandbox testing. Automated third-party electricity-token purchasing and live load-shedding information are not currently available.

4. Roles: Landlords, Tenants, Staff

Landlords own or manage the property and are responsible for all statutory landlord obligations under the Rental Housing Act 50 of 1999 (as amended) and the Consumer Protection Act where applicable.

Tenants occupy a unit and are responsible for paying rent and electricity-token costs, complying with the lease and house rules.

Staff are appointed by a landlord using a staff code and may perform delegated tasks (e.g. inspections, token issuing). Staff act on behalf of the landlord, not TenancyCo.

5. Prepaid Electricity & Tokens

TenancyCo facilitates the request, allocation and logging of prepaid electricity tokens between landlords and tenants. We are not a licensed electricity reseller and we do not generate, sell or guarantee STS tokens ourselves. All tokens are issued by the landlord or their appointed vendor.

6. Rent, Billing & Arrears

Rent amounts, due dates and any late-payment interest are set in the lease between landlord and tenant. The Platform records payments, calculates arrears and sends reminders on Day 3, 7, 14 and 30 of overdue status. After Day 30 a Letter of Demand may be generated. This is a template; it does not constitute legal advice.

7. Applicant Management

The Platform helps property teams capture applicant information, review supporting information and record application decisions. External credit-bureau screening is not currently integrated. Landlords remain responsible for fair and lawful decisions.

8. Deposits & Interest

Deposits & Interest — The Platform can track deposit balances and calculate illustrative interest using a rate configured by the landlord. The applicable rate should reflect the rate earned on the interest-bearing account in which the deposit is held.

9. Inspections

Entry and exit inspections must be conducted jointly by landlord and tenant per section 5(3) of the Rental Housing Act. The Platform captures the checklist and dual signatures as evidence. Failure to perform either inspection may affect deposit-refund rights.

10. Maintenance & Emergencies

Tenants may log maintenance requests and flag emergencies (fire, gas leak, break-in, etc.). Emergency alerts are NOT a substitute for calling 10111 (SAPS), 10177 (ambulance) or your private security provider. Always call emergency services first.

11. Notifications

The Platform provides in-app notifications and alerts for relevant residence activity. Automated SMS and WhatsApp messaging are not currently integrated.

12. Planned Load-Shedding Information

Live load-shedding information is not currently available. It is planned for a future version and should not be relied on for safety-critical decisions.

13. Acceptable Use

  • No unlawful, harassing, fraudulent or discriminatory conduct.
  • No tampering with meters, tokens, or another user's account.
  • No scraping, reverse engineering, or attacking the Platform.
  • No impersonation of landlords, staff or tenants.
  • Content you upload (photos, signatures, messages) must be lawful and yours to share.

14. Privacy & POPIA

We process personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA").

What we collect: name, ID number, phone, email, unit/lease data, payment status, meter readings, inspection photos & signatures, device & log data, and notification preferences.

Why: to operate the Platform, fulfil the lease relationship, comply with the law, and improve our services.

Lawful basis: performance of contract, legitimate interest, legal obligation, and your consent (for marketing and optional channels).

Sharing: with your landlord/tenant counter-party, infrastructure providers and authorities where legally required.

Retention: for the duration of your account plus the period required by tax, lease and POPIA record-keeping obligations.

Your rights: access, correction, deletion, objection, and to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa).

Contact our Information Officer at tenancyco.sa@gmail.com for any POPIA request.

15. Fees, Liability & Disclaimers

The Platform is offered on an "as-is" and "as-available" basis. To the maximum extent permitted by law, TenancyCo's aggregate liability for any claim arising out of the Agreement is limited to the fees paid by you to TenancyCo in the 6 months preceding the claim, or ZAR 1,000, whichever is greater. Nothing in this Agreement excludes liability that cannot be excluded under South African law (including the Consumer Protection Act).

16. Termination & Dispute Resolution

Either party may terminate the Agreement at any time by closing the account. Lease obligations between landlord and tenant survive termination of Platform access. Disputes will first be referred to good-faith negotiation, then to the Rental Housing Tribunal (where applicable) or the courts of the Republic of South Africa.

17. Changes & Contact

We may update this Agreement from time to time. Material changes will be notified via Email or in-app at least 14 days before they take effect. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance.

Contact: tenancyco.sa@gmail.com · Phone: +27 65 524 8640 · Information Officer: tenancyco.sa@gmail.com

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