How to rent a house in South Africa

To rent a house in South Africa, start with Property24, Private Property, or a FB group like Huis Huis Cape Town Rentals.

Determine what type of accommodation you can afford.

Search for accommodation on your own or use an agent.

Reach an agreement with the owner or the agent.

Submit all your documents and get access to your new house.

To rent a house in South Africa, you want to work out an agreement with your agent or the tenant. Apartments or houses can be found online, through an agency, or by checking for “for rent” posters on the street.

You can choose among different types of places to rent:

a bed in a shared room or a dorm;

a room with a shared bathroom or an en-suite bathroom;

a house that is low rise building that can be detached or semidetached, furnished or unfurnished;

a flat in a medium or high apartment building;

a villa is a large detached house with an extensive garden.

Most websites or apps linked below are in English. Use Google Translate, Tarjimly, or any other translation service if you need it.

What documents do I need to rent in South Africa

The documents you need depend on how you are renting and from whom. If you are subletting a room for a few weeks from the original renter, you may need to give only your first payment in advance. While if you are renting from an agency, you will need more paperwork.

When choosing a place, you want to consider how expensive it is for you, both in terms of money and time, to get all the documents that the agency or the owner asks you.

You want to get the keys, or any other type of access, to the accommodation before you pay anything. You may need one or more of these documents:

• Proof of first payment, if it’s not in cash;
• Proof of payment of a deposit, which can be one month of rent or more;
• Valid identification that can be a driver’s license, a national identification card, or a passport;
• A lease agreement is a formal document that explains your agreement with the landlord;
• A credit check is any documentation showing you have enough income to pay rent.

You may need additional documents when you rent a house in South Africa.

Also, read How to Find an Apartment in South Africa.

Average house size

From 1970–1974 to 2010: a drop from 203 square meters to 146 square meters. As a result, the average size of a newly built sectional title unit is about 90 square feet or more.

Look for the best real estate websites in South Africa.

Can I rent a house in South Africa without a job

Yes, you may rent a house without a job. Bank statements may be required to prove income. If you don’t have a job, you may need to provide further documentation to rent.

Average rent price in South Africa

The typical South African rent varies widely depending on where and what kind of property you rent. It’s not cheap to rent a home in South Africa. Deposits of one month’s to three months’ rent are not uncommon.

In the city center, the rent for a one-bedroom apartment is around 4,500 ZAR or more. And a three-bedroom apartment rent is around 9,000 ZAR or more.

Outside of the center, the rent for a one-bedroom apartment is around 4,000 ZAR or more. And the rent for a three-bedroom apartment is around 8,500 ZAR or more.

Ten ZAR is 0.53 US Dollars or in euro is 0.48 euro. That is 43.61 Indian Rupees or almost 3.85 Chinese yuan.

The average rent in South Africa for a one-bedroom apartment is in the following cities in South Africa:

in Cape Town is 9000 ZAR;

in Johannesburg is 4999 ZAR;

in Durban is 4500 ZAR;

in Port Elizabeth is 5000 ZAR;

in Pretoria is 4000 ZAR;

in East London is 5000 ZAR;

in Pietermaritzburg is 3500 ZAR;

Finding a rental from a recommendation

Getting a rental through word of mouth is another way. It is a successful method for choosing a great and comfortable apartment. Simply advise as many people as possible that you are looking to rent an apartment in South Africa, and if anyone knows of any listings, they will let you know.

People typically recommend their friends or acquaintances to their landlords when they wish to move out of an apartment. In this manner, you and the landlord won’t have to bother looking for a new tenant or a place to live.

Source: Numbeo

The cover image is somewhere in Cape Town, South Africa. Photo by Prince Akachi on Unsplash.