Credit Check Policy

What checks are performed

When you apply for a rental property through Pleks, a comprehensive background and credit check may be performed as part of the application process. These checks include queries against the following sources:

• TransUnion — credit profile and payment history
• XDS — credit bureau records and default listings
• TPN — tenant payment performance data
• Home Affairs — identity verification

Who runs the checks

All credit and background checks are conducted by Searchworx, a registered credit bureau intermediary operating under the National Credit Act. Pleks does not access credit bureau data directly. Searchworx acts as our authorised service provider for this purpose and is bound by their own regulatory obligations regarding the handling of your information.

Fee

A once-off fee of R399 is charged per credit check. This fee is paid by the applicant at the time of submitting their rental application. The fee is non-refundable once the credit check has been initiated, as the bureau queries are processed immediately.

Legal basis under POPIA

Credit checks are processed on the basis of your explicit consent, as provided for under section 11(1)(a) of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). Before any check is initiated, you will be asked to provide clear, informed consent. No credit check will be performed without this consent being obtained first.

Your rights

As the subject of a credit check, you have the following rights:

• You may request a free copy of the credit report generated as part of your application
• If you believe any information in the report is inaccurate, you may lodge a dispute directly with the relevant credit bureau (TransUnion, XDS, or TPN), who are required to investigate and respond within 20 business days
• You may also contact our Information Officer at legal@pleks.co.za for assistance with the dispute process

Withdrawal of consent

Please note that once a credit check has been initiated and the bureau queries have been submitted, consent cannot be retrospectively withdrawn for that specific check. The data has already been accessed and a report generated. You may, however, withdraw consent for any future checks or processing of your information by contacting us at legal@pleks.co.za.

Retention

Credit check results and associated personal information are retained for a period of 12 months from the date the check was performed. After this period, the data is permanently deleted from our systems unless it forms part of an active lease record, in which case it is retained in accordance with our Privacy Policy.