It was meant to be a routine move-in — lease signed, deposit paid, and the keys ready for handover. But when the agent arrived, it wasn’t the tenant who pitched up. Instead, two unfamiliar faces arrived with a truck full of furniture claiming they were taking occupation.
Sound far-fetched? It’s not.
This real-life scenario was the focus of our latest 🎙 INNER CIRCLE LIVE #2508 session — and it revealed just how quickly a tenancy can spiral into a legal and compliance nightmare.
Together with expert rental attorney Ismaiel Mohamed, we unpacked the case and explored critical lessons for rental agents and landlords alike, including:
✅ Why identity verification at move-in is non-negotiable
✅ The legal grounds for refusing access to unauthorised individuals
✅ How FICA compliance and reporting obligations come into play when suspicious transactions or cash payments are involved
✅ Why trusting your gut — and backing it up with the right documentation — can protect you from serious consequences
We didn’t just focus on what went wrong — we also shared best practices, preventative steps, and legal tools you can use to avoid being caught in a similar situation.
💡 These are the kinds of high-risk scenarios that aren’t always covered in basic training — but they happen more often than you think.
If you’re a rental professional serious about protecting your clients (and yourself), you need to be learning from these real-world cases.
That’s exactly what we do inside the RentalSphere Inner Circle.
🎓 Want access to expert-led training like this every month?
Join the Inner Circle today for just R1 for your first month and stay ahead of the risks. Click here to find out more https://rentalsphere.co.za/rentalsphere-inner-circle/
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