What a South African lease must include
The Rental Housing Act requires a written lease that states the names and addresses of the parties, a description of the dwelling, the rent and any escalation, the deposit, the lease period and notice period, the tenant's and landlord's obligations, and that the incoming and outgoing inspections will be done together. This template covers all of these.
Consumer Protection Act
If you let property as a business (even one property is often enough) and the tenant is a person, the CPA applies: the tenant can cancel a fixed-term lease on 20 business days' notice (with a reasonable penalty), you must remind the tenant 40 to 80 business days before the term ends, and you must give 20 business days to fix a breach before cancelling.
This template is a starting point, not legal advice. For unusual situations (commercial property, sub-letting, a business run from home) have an attorney review it.
Frequently asked questions
Is this lease template free?
Yes. Pro removes the small Sonneblom Tax line at the bottom.
Does a lease have to be signed by witnesses?
Witnesses aren't legally required for a lease, but they help as proof if there's a dispute.
Last updated 2026-10-10. Sources: SARS rates of tax for individuals, medical tax credit rates, interest exemption, capital gains tax and the rate-per-kilometre schedule on sars.gov.za.