Terms, Policies & POPIA Notice

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").

• 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.

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 automated generation of a Letter of Demand compliant with the Rental Housing Act.
• Tenant screening (Applicants) — TPN-style risk scoring and approve/reject workflow before tenancy.
• Inspections — entry and exit checklists with dual-signature capture.
• Deposits — deposit tracking with 6.5% statutory interest accrual and deductions on refund.
• Maintenance requests — log, triage and resolve issues; flag emergencies.
• Emergency alerts — high-priority alert center for safety-related incidents.
• Load shedding widget — Eskom-style stage and next-outage info for the unit's area.
• Notification preferences — opt in/out of Email, SMS and WhatsApp channels.
• Compliance documents — downloadable letters and reports for record-keeping.

Some data (e.g. load-shedding stage, screening scores) is currently displayed using illustrative/pilot data and will be replaced with live integrations as the Platform matures. We will not represent pilot data as a substitute for an official credit bureau report or Eskom feed.

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.

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.

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.

Applicant risk scoring is provided as a decision-support tool. Landlords are solely responsible for ensuring screening decisions comply with the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act 4 of 2000 (PEPUDA) and the Rental Housing Act. We do not discriminate against any protected class.

Per section 5 of the Rental Housing Act, deposits must be held in an interest-bearing account. The Platform tracks deposit balances and accrues interest at the configured rate (default 6.5% p.a., illustrative). Actual interest must match the rate paid by the landlord's bank account holding the deposit.

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.

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.

By signing up you consent to receive transactional notifications (rent reminders, token confirmations, inspection invites, emergency alerts) via Email, SMS and/or WhatsApp. You may manage channel preferences in Settings. Standard carrier rates may apply.

The load-shedding widget displays stage and next-outage information sourced from third-party feeds (e.g. EskomSePush-style). It is provided "as-is" for convenience and may be inaccurate or delayed. Do not rely on it for safety-critical decisions.

• 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.

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, our hosting & messaging sub-processors (Lovable Cloud / Supabase, email & SMS gateways), 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 privacy@tenancyco.co.za for any POPIA request.

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).

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.

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: support@tenancyco.co.za · Information Officer: privacy@tenancyco.co.za