Tenant screening with TPN in South Africa: what a check shows, and how to run one

A bad tenant costs more than a vacant month. TPN is the credit bureau South African landlords and agents use to see how an applicant has actually paid rent before — here is what a check returns, what the law requires before you run it, and how Mastendi runs it from the application itself.

Updated September 2026 · ~6 min read · General guidance, not legal advice (see disclaimer)

What TPN is

TPN Credit Bureau is a registered South African credit bureau that specialises in rental. Landlords and agents report how their tenants pay each month — on time, late, short, not at all — and TPN builds a rental payment profile per person from that. A TPN check on an applicant shows you their track record as a tenant, which is a better predictor of how they will pay you than a retail credit score.

What a check returns

• Rental payment history — month by month, from every landlord or agent who reports to TPN.
• Defaults and judgements — listed debts, court judgements and administration orders.
• Debt-review status — whether the applicant is under debt counselling, which limits what they can commit to.
• The Credex grade — TPN's own rental credit score for the applicant, from excellent to poor, so a file can be read at a glance.
• Identity verification — that the ID number belongs to the person applying.

Read the result against the applicant's declared income: a common rule of thumb is that rent should not exceed about a third of gross monthly income, but a clean payment history at a higher ratio is worth more than a spotless ratio with a history of defaults.

Consent first — POPIA and the National Credit Act

A credit-bureau enquiry is a lawful purpose under the National Credit Act only with the applicant's consent, and the personal information you collect for it falls under POPIA. In practice that means:

• Written consent from the applicant before the check, naming the purpose (assessing their rental application).
• Collecting only what the check needs — ID number, contact details, address, income.
• Keeping the consent and the result together, for as long as you keep the application, and no longer.
• Telling the applicant they can withdraw consent to future reporting.

Screening in Mastendi: from application link to tenant record

Mastendi's screening is built around consent, so the paperwork is the workflow:

1. Send the applicant a link from the room they are applying for. They apply online and upload their documents.
2. They consent on a public page — name typed, box ticked — and the consent is stored with the application.
3. Run the TPN check from the screening list. The result is stamped on the applicant: history, judgements, debt review, Credex grade.
4. Convert the applicant to a tenant in one click — the details carry across, nobody is asked for their ID twice.

Checks are paid per check from a prepaid balance you top up when you need to, or on account for agencies; a plan may include a number of free checks a month. An agency with its own TPN membership can use its own account and report its tenants' payments back to TPN every month — the reporting that keeps the bureau useful for everyone.

Screen applicants from the application itself

Send a link, collect the documents and the consent, run the TPN check and turn the applicant into a tenant — without a spreadsheet, a PDF or a second data-capture. Priced per check; no membership needed to start.

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Frequently asked questions

What does a TPN check cost?

It is priced per check. In Mastendi a check is paid from a prepaid balance you top up when you need to; some plans include a number of free checks each month. An agency with its own TPN membership can run checks on its own account.

Do I need the applicant's consent to run a TPN check?

Yes. A credit-bureau enquiry requires the applicant's consent under the National Credit Act, and the information involved is personal information under POPIA. Get it in writing, for the stated purpose, before the check.

What is a Credex grade?

TPN's rental credit score for a person, derived from their rental payment history and credit profile, expressed as a grade from excellent to poor. It summarises the file; the payment history is the detail behind it.

Can I screen an existing tenant?

Screening is for applications. Reporting a sitting tenant's payment behaviour to TPN is a separate, ongoing thing that the tenant is told about and can withdraw consent to.

Disclaimer: This guide is general information for South African landlords and letting agents and is not legal advice. The National Credit Act, POPIA and TPN's own terms govern credit-bureau enquiries; confirm the current position before acting.