A payslip can be altered. A bank statement can be cleaned up. A friend can pose as an employer or landlord. Once occupation has been given, a bad approval decision can lead to arrears, damage, legal costs and a lengthy lawful eviction process.

This course turns SBL Incorporated's legal training into a practical, plain-language screening system. You will learn how to review bank statements and payslips, compare income with lifestyle and expenses, question references, interpret credit activity, verify employment, inspect application forms and respond when an application looks almost too perfect.

The course does not teach landlords to reject applicants on instinct. It teaches a structured process: obtain consent, apply the same objective checks, verify inconsistencies and document the decision.

Who this course is for

• South African private landlords who screen their own prospective tenants.
• New landlords who need a repeatable application and verification process.
• Property investors who want to reduce preventable arrears and enforcement risk.
• Landlords who receive digital applications, PDFs, screenshots and online references.

Learning outcomes

• Explain what makes a tenant application fraudulent or misleading.
• Recognise common warning signs in payslips, bank statements and PDFs.
• Compare claimed income, lifestyle, expenses, addresses and credit activity for consistency.
• Verify landlords, employers and references using independently sourced details.
• Apply a consistent screening process with consent and secure information handling.
• Separate a risk indicator from proof of fraud and request clarification before deciding.

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