Last updated: 24 April 2026
This policy explains what personal information The Property Bureau collects, why we collect it, who we share it with, and what rights you have under South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (PoPIA).
Who we are
The Property Bureau is a PPRA-registered residential property agency based at 26 Maynard Road, Wynberg, Cape Town, 7800. We act as the “responsible party” under PoPIA for any personal information we collect through this website or in the course of providing our services.
Information Officer: Paul Grobler
Email: admin@propertybureau.co.za
Phone: +27 (0) 21 797 8850
Postal address: 26 Maynard Road, Wynberg, Cape Town, 7800
All queries about this policy, your personal information, or your rights under PoPIA should be directed to the Information Officer at the contact details above.
Information we collect
We collect personal information in three ways: directly from you, automatically when you use the website, and from third parties involved in property transactions.
Directly from you, when you:
- Submit the contact form
- Request a property valuation
- Submit a tenant application
- Enquire about a specific property listing
- Correspond with us by email or phone
The information we collect in these cases typically includes your full name, contact number, email address, physical or postal address, identity number where required for tenant screening or sale transactions, employment and income details for tenant applications, and details of the property you are enquiring about or listing.
Automatically, when you visit the website:
- IP address and approximate location
- Browser type and device information
- Pages visited and time spent on each
- Referring website
We collect this through standard web server logs and through Google Analytics if enabled. This information is aggregated and used to understand how visitors use the site.
From third parties, when relevant to a transaction:
- Tenant credit and rental-history reports from TPN (Tenant Profile Network)
- Payment details for rent collection through PayProp
- Conveyancing and legal information from STBB where a sale or lease transfer requires it
Why we collect it
We collect and process personal information for the following purposes:
- To respond to your enquiries and provide the services you request
- To process tenant applications and assess suitability
- To manage rental properties on behalf of landlords, including rent collection, lease administration, and property inspections
- To provide property valuations
- To facilitate property sales and transfers
- To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations as a PPRA-registered agency
- To communicate with you about services, listings, or transactions you have engaged us on
- To improve our website and services
Legal basis for processing
Under PoPIA we process personal information on one of the following bases:
- Your consent, which you give when you submit a form or engage our services
- To perform a contract with you, such as a lease or mandate agreement
- To comply with a legal obligation, such as FICA verification or PPRA requirements
- Our legitimate interest in running the business, where this does not override your rights
Who we share it with
We share your personal information only where necessary, and only with third parties bound by their own confidentiality and data protection obligations.
| Third party | Purpose | Location |
|---|---|---|
| TPN (Tenant Profile Network) | Tenant credit and rental history checks | South Africa |
| PayProp | Rent collection, payment processing, trust account management | South Africa |
| STBB (Smith Tabata Buchanan Boyes) | Conveyancing and legal services for sales and transfers | South Africa |
| Microsoft 365 | Email hosting and correspondence | Global |
| Amazon SES | Transactional email delivery | Global (AWS) |
| FragHost | Website hosting | United Kingdom |
| Google (Analytics, Fonts, Maps where used) | Website analytics and functionality | Global |
| WPForms | Form submissions routed via our website | Stored on our own hosting |
We will not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party for marketing purposes without your explicit consent.
We may also disclose personal information where required by law, by a court order, or to protect our legal rights.
Cross-border transfers
Some of our service providers (Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Google, FragHost) operate servers outside South Africa. Where this applies, the transfer is made in accordance with section 72 of PoPIA, which requires that the recipient country provides a level of protection substantially similar to PoPIA, or that the transfer is necessary for the performance of a contract with you.
How we protect your information
We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect personal information from loss, unauthorised access, and misuse. These include:
- Secure web hosting with HTTPS encryption for all form submissions
- Access controls restricting who within the agency can view personal files
- Password-protected systems for PayProp and tenant files
- Secure disposal of paper records when no longer required
- Regular backups of our website and records
No system is completely secure. If a security breach occurs that affects your personal information, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as required under section 22 of PoPIA.
How long we keep it
We retain personal information only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law.
- Tenant application data: retained for the duration of the tenancy and for five years after the tenancy ends, in line with FICA record-keeping requirements
- Sales transaction records: retained for five years after the transaction, in line with FICA
- Enquiry and valuation correspondence: retained for up to two years after last contact
- Website analytics: retained in Google Analytics for 14 months
- Accounting records: retained for seven years, in line with tax and company law requirements
After these periods we destroy or de-identify the information unless there is a legal basis for continued retention.
Your rights under PoPIA
You have the following rights in relation to your personal information:
- Right of access. You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
- Right to correction. You can ask us to correct information that is inaccurate, out of date, or incomplete.
- Right to deletion. You can ask us to delete personal information that is no longer necessary, subject to any legal retention obligations.
- Right to object. You can object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances, including direct marketing.
- Right to withdraw consent. Where we process on the basis of consent, you can withdraw that consent at any time.
- Right to data portability. You can ask for your information in a structured, commonly used format.
To exercise any of these rights, email the Information Officer at admin@propertybureau.co.za. We will respond within 30 days. There is no fee unless the request is manifestly unfounded or excessive.
Cookies
Our website uses cookies to remember your preferences, measure traffic, and improve performance. Cookies fall into these categories:
- Strictly necessary cookies that make the site work (for example, session cookies)
- Analytics cookies that help us understand how the site is used (Google Analytics, if enabled)
- Functional cookies that remember your choices
- Third-party cookies from embedded services such as Google Maps or YouTube, if these appear on a page you visit
You can disable cookies through your browser settings. Some parts of the site may not work correctly if you do.
Children’s information
Our services are aimed at adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 18 without parental consent. If you believe we have collected information from a child without consent, contact the Information Officer and we will delete it.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The version published at propertybureau.co.za/privacy-policy/ is the current version. Material changes will be noted at the top of the page with the updated date. If a change materially affects how we process your information, we will notify you by email where we have your email address.
How to contact us
For any question about this policy, your personal information, or your PoPIA rights:
The Property Bureau
Attention: Paul Grobler, Information Officer
26 Maynard Road, Wynberg, Cape Town, 7800
admin@propertybureau.co.za
+27 (0) 21 797 8850
Complaints to the Information Regulator
If you are not satisfied with how we have handled your personal information or your request, you can complain to the Information Regulator of South Africa:
The Information Regulator (South Africa)
JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001
PO Box 31533, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2017
Tel: +27 (0) 10 023 5200
Email: complaints.IR@justice.gov.za
Website: https://inforegulator.org.za
Governing law
This policy is governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.