Year-End Movers Get a Guide to Renting From Urban Estate

December and January are when a large share of Johannesburg leases come to an end, and for many renters the real obstacle to moving is not finding a flat but getting the paperwork done in time. With that in mind, Urban Estate, a provider of affordable apartments in Johannesburg's northern suburbs, has used this November to lay out its rental process step by step. Anyone planning a move over the festive period or early in the new year can now see what happens between a first enquiry and a signed lease.

The busy season has a simple cause. Leases tend to expire around the turn of the year, new jobs and academic years start in January, and so a lot of people go house hunting at once. Renters who already know the steps and have their documents together generally move through the process much faster than those who only start collecting paperwork once they have found a unit they want.

The renters Urban Estate serves

Helping individuals and families find somewhere to call home is at the centre of Urban Estate's mission. Its focus is affordable apartments that are safe and well looked after, with added features such as braai areas and rooftop social spaces. The company offers one to three bedroom units designed for young professionals and young families who want affordable accommodation with smart living features, places to socialise and, in the company's words, a tinge of luxury.

Most of its buildings sit in Johannesburg's Region E, in areas such as Bramley, Orange Grove, Houghton Estate and Raumaraispark. They are positioned near business nodes, transport routes and the everyday amenities of the northern suburbs.

First: pick a building and send an enquiry

Everything begins on the Urban Estate website, where every building has a dedicated page showing its unit types, starting rentals and an enquiry form. A renter fills in the form on the page of the property that interests them, adding their requirements, for example how many bedrooms they need, whether parking is required and what their budget is. Urban Estate follows up to book a time for them to meet an agent at the property.

Because each building has its own page, anyone weighing up apartments to rent Johannesburg wide can narrow down a shortlist by area before booking a single viewing. Depending on the building, the choice runs from bachelor units and one bedroom flats through to two and three bedroom apartments.

Second: bring the whole household to the viewing

At the viewing, Urban Estate asks for something practical: that renters come with everyone they intend to live with. A spouse, partner or housemate then gets to see the unit for themselves and ask their own questions, which the company believes prevents misunderstandings about expectations down the line. The agent on site takes questions from the whole group.

Should the first apartment not appeal, Urban Estate will arrange viewings at other properties in its portfolio. In a busy period this is a real help, since a renter may discover that a building in another suburb fits their commute or budget better than the one they started with.

Third: apply with your documents in hand

When a renter has settled on a unit and has their paperwork ready, Urban Estate assists with completing the application. Applications can also be made online via the company's tenant portal. The website lists the documents needed, and collecting them now is far easier than doing it in the post-holiday rush:

Proof of incomeBank statements for the last three months, plus a copy of the employment contract where the applicant has been employed for under three monthsProof of current residential addressDetails of the applicant's current employerDetails of every person who will live in the unitNext of kin information

According to Urban Estate, applicants hear whether they have been approved within just a couple of hours of submitting. Approval rests on a good credit record, an affordability check and verification of the details supplied.

Fourth: sign the lease and pay the deposit

After approval, the renter signs the lease and pays the agreed deposit. Urban Estate is deliberate about recording this step clearly: once a home has been chosen from its portfolio, the company produces a rental agreement that transparently sets out the deposit, the rental and the utility charges. The goal, it says, is to keep renting simple and enjoyable.

The rentals shown on each building page exclude water and prepaid electricity, so renters should allow for both in their monthly budget. With prepaid electricity, tenants control their own usage directly, which makes household costs easier to plan through a long, warm summer.

Buildings across the northern suburbs

Renters can choose from a variety of locations and unit types across Urban Estate's northern suburbs buildings. At 52 on Glen there are bachelor, one bedroom and two bedroom units. Kew is home to three options: Kew Lofts, with bachelor and one bedroom loft apartments; 1st on Kew, with two bedroom apartments; and 1st Avenue Executive, with bachelor and one bedroom flats. On Louis Botha Avenue, Views of Houghton has bachelor, one and two bedroom units, and Orange Grove Heights offers bachelor, one and two bedroom flats. @ Manhattan provides two and three bedroom apartments, and 440 Louis Botha has bachelor units.

Among the Kew apartments for rent, 1st Avenue Executive is notable for its facilities. These include a full business hub, Wi-Fi, an in-house gym studio, security with access control, secure parking, a braai and chill area, kids' play areas and a crèche. The building is near schools, offers easy highway access and lies roughly 3.5 kilometres from Sandton City, with Louis Botha Avenue about 700 metres away.

Getting ahead of January

Timing is often the toughest part of a year-end move for people looking at apartments in Johannesburg. Viewings, applications and lease signings all fall into the same short window in which families are arranging holidays and businesses are shutting down for the festive season. Beginning in November leaves room to see more than one building, gather documents without pressure and secure a unit ahead of the January rush.

Urban Estate's guidance comes down to a few steps: shortlist buildings that fit your preferred area and budget, enquire via the website, view with everyone you will be living with and have your documents ready. Every building, its unit types and the enquiry forms are available at https://urbanestate.co.za/.

About Urban Estate

Urban Estate provides affordable, safe and well maintained residential apartments to rent in Johannesburg. Its one to three bedroom apartments are in the city's northern suburbs, among them Bramley, Kew, Orange Grove and Houghton, with good access to business nodes, transport and amenities. The company keeps its rental process clearly documented, issuing rental agreements that set out the deposit, rental and utility charges, and accepts applications through its website and tenant portal.