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The short answer
Johannesburg landlords and letting agents usually ask a foreign tenant for a valid passport and visa or permit, proof of income such as payslips and bank statements, consent to a credit or affordability check, and a deposit before you move in. The Rental Housing Act says that deposit must be kept in an interest-bearing account and refunded on set timelines, and those rules cannot be waived in the lease.
Finding a flat in Johannesburg is often the first big money decision after you land. There is no single national checklist for tenants: each landlord or letting agent sets its own vetting process. What the law does set is how your deposit is handled, how the flat is inspected and what you can do if things go wrong. This guide separates the two, so you know what to prepare and what you are entitled to.
What landlords and agents usually ask for
Vetting lists differ between agencies, so treat the list below as what is commonly requested, not as a legal requirement. Ask the agent for its list in writing before you pay any application fee.
- Identity: your Nigerian passport, and the visa or permit that shows you are allowed to live in South Africa for the period of the lease.
- Income: recent payslips, an employment contract or offer letter, and bank statements. Students are often asked for proof of registration and a sponsor or guarantor.
- Credit or affordability check: written consent for the agent to check your credit record. If you are new, you may have no South African record at all, which is different from a bad one.
- References: a previous landlord or your employer.
- Deposit and first month's rent: usually paid before you receive the keys.
A thin South African credit file is the most common hurdle for new arrivals. Agents may ask for a larger deposit, a surety (someone who signs to guarantee the rent) or a letter from your employer. These are commercial choices by the landlord; nothing in the Rental Housing Act fixes the size of a deposit. Our guide to building a credit score in South Africa as a foreign national covers how to start a record.
What the Rental Housing Act says about your deposit
Section 5(3) of the Rental Housing Act 50 of 1999 sets terms that apply to every residential lease, whether or not they are written into it. Section 5(4) says they may not be waived by either the tenant or the landlord.
- Deposit
- The landlord may ask for a deposit before you move in.
- Where it is held
- In an interest-bearing account with a financial institution, at not less than the rate on a savings account. You may ask for written proof of the interest earned.
- Move-in inspection
- You and the landlord inspect the flat together to record existing defects or damage.
- Move-out inspection
- A joint inspection within three days before the lease ends.
- Refund
- Within seven days of the lease ending if nothing is owed; within 14 or 21 days where repairs or deductions apply.
Insist on the move-in inspection and keep a dated list with photos. If the landlord fails to inspect with you at the end, the Act treats the flat as being in good repair and the full deposit plus interest must be refunded. The full refund rules are in our guide on how much deposit a landlord can keep.
Discrimination and where to complain
Section 4(1) of the Act says a landlord may not unfairly discriminate on grounds including race, ethnic or social origin, colour, culture, language and birth. Nationality is not named in the list, but the list is introduced with the word "including", so it is not stated to be closed. If you believe you were refused because of where you are from, you can raise it with your province's Rental Housing Tribunal.
Under section 13 of the Act, a tenant may lodge a complaint about an unfair practice with the Tribunal. The Tribunal investigates, may appoint a mediator and, if mediation fails, holds a hearing. Its ruling is treated as an order of a magistrate's court. While a complaint is open, for up to three months, the landlord may not evict you and you keep paying the rent that applied before the complaint.
Worked example: the cash you need on day one
Example only, with round figures. A one-bedroom flat is advertised at R9,000 a month and the agent asks for one month's deposit.
| Item | Example amount |
|---|---|
| Deposit (one month) | R9,000 |
| First month's rent | R9,000 |
| Total before you move in | R18,000 |
| If the agent asks for two months' deposit | R27,000 |
Ask whether there is an application, lease or vetting fee, and get it on the invoice. If a utility deposit is needed for prepaid electricity or water, ask who pays it.
Steps before you sign
- Check that your permit covers the lease period, or ask for a lease that matches it.
- Get the agent's vetting list and fees in writing.
- Read the lease for the deposit amount, notice period and who pays for repairs.
- Do the joint move-in inspection and keep the signed list.
- Ask in writing which account holds your deposit.
- Keep the signed lease: many banks accept a lease as proof of address. See FICA proof of address when you rent a room.
Where Pryme fits
If family in Nigeria is helping with your first deposit, they can send naira to your Pryme account and you can keep it, or convert it with Swap when you choose; the app shows the rate and the fee before you approve. A multicurrency account holds NGN, USD, GBP and EUR, so savings from home do not have to be converted all at once.
Questions people ask
Can a foreigner rent a flat in Johannesburg?
Yes. Landlords decide whom to accept, and most ask for a passport, a valid visa or permit, proof of income and a credit check.
How much deposit do landlords ask for in Johannesburg?
The Act does not fix an amount. One month's rent is common; some ask for more where you have no South African credit record.
Can a landlord refuse me because I am Nigerian?
The Act bans unfair discrimination on grounds including ethnic or social origin and birth. You can complain to the Rental Housing Tribunal.
Do I get interest on my rental deposit?
Yes. The landlord must hold it in an interest-bearing account and refund it with interest.
Sources
- Rental Housing Act 50 of 1999 (gov.za) · accessed Oct 2026
- Van Deventer & Van Deventer: Can you claim your rental deposit back in South Africa? (23 Apr 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- MJ Kotze Inc: FICA proof of address (12 Jun 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
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