Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how RentBid (Pty) Ltd collects, uses, shares and protects your personal information in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA").

1. Who we are

RentBid (Pty) Ltd ("RentBid", "we", "us") operates an online rental marketplace connecting verified tenants and landlords in South Africa. We are the responsible party for your personal information as defined in POPIA.

2. Information we collect

Account & identity

• Full name, email address, and mobile number.
• South African ID number and a copy of your identity document.
• A liveness selfie or short video to confirm you are the genuine holder of the ID provided.
• Proof of residential address (e.g. a utility bill or bank statement under three months old).

Tenant profile

• Occupation, income band, household composition, and rental preferences.
• Credit and affordability check results (section 5), where you choose the optional vetting report.
• Your rental application history and tenant ratings received from landlords on the platform.

Landlord profile & property

• Proof of property ownership or a mandate to let on behalf of an owner.
• Property details, photographs, rental terms, and, where applicable, banking information for payouts.

Usage & technical

• Device type, browser, IP address, and general location derived from IP.
• Pages viewed, searches performed, listings saved, and AI chatbot interactions.
• Messages exchanged between users through the RentBid messaging tool.

3. Why we collect it

POPIA requires us to collect information for a specific, explicitly defined and lawful purpose. We process personal information to:

4. Lawful basis & consent

We process your personal information on one or more lawful bases permitted by POPIA: your consent; necessity to perform a contract with you; compliance with a legal obligation; or our legitimate interests balanced against your rights.

Where consent is our basis — for example, for credit checks or marketing emails — you may withdraw consent at any time via your account settings or by contacting us. Withdrawal does not affect processing already carried out and may limit certain features.

5. Special & sensitive personal information

Certain information we handle is more sensitive and receives additional protection under POPIA:

• Identity documents and biometric (liveness) data are used solely for identity verification, stored in an encrypted private storage bucket, and never sold or shared beyond what this policy describes.
• Credit and affordability information is obtained from a registered credit bureau only with your explicit, separately obtained consent and used solely to assess a rental application. This processing is also subject to the National Credit Act 34 of 2005.

6. Who we share your information with

We share personal information only as needed to operate the platform. We do not sell personal information. We share:

• Between users, by design: when you apply for a rental, the landlord sees your verified profile, rating, and (where you have consented) your vetting result. When a landlord publishes a listing, tenants see the listing details and the landlord's public rating.
• With service providers (operators) bound by contract — see section 7.
• Where required by law, such as a valid court order or lawful request from a regulatory authority.
• In a business transfer such as a merger or acquisition, subject to at least the same privacy protections.

7. Operators & third-party processors

We use trusted service providers ("operators" under POPIA) who process information only on our instructions and are contractually bound to keep it secure. Current or anticipated operators include:

A current list of named operators is available on request from our Information Officer.

8. Cross-border transfers

Some service providers may process information outside South Africa. Where this occurs, we take steps required by section 72 of POPIA to ensure your information receives protection substantially equivalent to POPIA — for example through standard contractual clauses or by using providers in jurisdictions with adequately protective laws.

9. How we protect your information

We apply appropriate technical and organisational measures including encryption in transit and at rest, strict access controls, isolated encrypted storage for identity documents, and regular security reviews. No system is perfectly secure. If a security compromise affecting your personal information occurs, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as required by POPIA.

10. How long we keep your information

11. Your rights under POPIA

You have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you (submit a PAIA request if needed).
• Correct or delete information that is inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, out of date, or unlawfully obtained.
• Object to processing on reasonable grounds, including the right to opt out of direct marketing at any time.
• Withdraw consent where our processing is consent-based, without penalty.
• Complain directly to the Information Regulator — see section 15.

To exercise these rights, contact our Information Officer at info@rentbid.co.za. We may verify your identity before acting on a request. We aim to respond within 30 days and do not charge for reasonable requests.

12. Cookies & tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies to keep you signed in, remember settings, measure usage, and (with your consent) support advertising. You may control non-essential cookies through our cookie notice or your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies will affect platform functionality.

13. Children

RentBid is intended for users aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If we learn that we have, we will delete it promptly.

14. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as our practices or the law changes. We will post the updated version here with a new effective date. Where changes are material, we will notify you by email or prominent in-platform notice at least 14 days before the change takes effect.

15. Contact & complaints

For privacy questions or to exercise your rights: info@rentbid.co.za

You may also complain to the Information Regulator: