Guides for South African landlords
Plain-English answers to the tax, compliance and admin questions every SA landlord and letting agent runs into — from the team building Mastendi.
Rental income tax: every deduction you can claim
What's taxable, every allowable expense, repairs vs improvements, ring-fencing and the records SARS expects.
Rental deposits & interest: the landlord's guide
What the Rental Housing Act requires — interest-bearing accounts, inspections, lawful deductions and refund deadlines.
Tenant screening with TPN: what a check shows
Rental payment history, judgements, debt review and the Credex grade — and the consent the law requires before you run it.
Rent collection and arrears: tracking, late fees and notices
One clear amount a month, arrears settled in order, lawful late fees, reminders and what the PIE Act forbids.
Reconciling rent against the bank, with or without Xero
Payment references, importing the statement your bank gives you, the Xero feed, and confirming the few lines that need a person.
An owner portal for your landlords
Statements, financials, maintenance and documents per landlord — scoped to their properties, sent on a schedule.
Software for a South African letting agency
Landlord books, agent permissions, the rent roll, TPN, the FFC register, the trust ledger and per-lease pricing.
POPIA for landlords: a practical checklist
Holding and handling tenant data lawfully — consent, security, retention, access requests and reporting a breach.
Provisional tax (IRP6) for rental income
When rental income makes you a provisional taxpayer, how to estimate the two payments, and the penalties to avoid.
Ending a lease: notice and cancellation, step by step
Expiry notices, early cancellation, breach and month-to-month leases under the CPA and Rental Housing Act — and why eviction needs a court.
Capital gains tax when you sell a rental property
Base cost, improvements, the 2026/27 exclusions and the CGT records to keep as you go.
How much can a landlord increase rent?
No legal cap, but only as the lease allows: escalation clauses, the CPA renewal notice and month-to-month leases.
Charging tenants for electricity: prepaid and sub-meters
Prepaid meters or monthly readings, the municipal-tariff limit, the lease wording and readings that hold up.
Managing a South African rental from abroad
SARS tax on SA rent as a non-resident, the 7.5% withholding when you sell, and running a tenancy from another time zone.
Put the admin on autopilot
Mastendi handles rent tracking, maintenance, deposits, POPIA and SARS-ready tax tools — for South African landlords and agencies. And we never take a cut of your rent.
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