1.Who we are, and how PropBoard works
PropBoard is a rental management platform built and operated by DropIT Solutions, a software company based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Property companies and letting agencies use PropBoard to run their rental process end to end — online applications, vetting, digital leases, tenant support and notices, inspections, and charges and deposits.
PropBoard is white-label: it runs under each property company's own name, logo and colours. If you are an applicant, tenant or occupant, the portal or app you use is your property company's system, powered by PropBoard behind the scenes.
That shape matters for your privacy:
- Your property company is the "responsible party" (the term POPIA uses for the organisation that decides why and how your personal information is used). It collects your information to assess your application and manage your tenancy.
- DropIT Solutions is the "operator" — we process that information on the property company's behalf, to provide and run the platform. We only use it to deliver the service described in this policy.
Each property company's data is kept in its own isolated database. One company can never see another company's applicants, tenants or records.
2.The information we collect
PropBoard only collects what is needed to run a rental relationship. What we hold about you depends on how you use the platform.
If you apply for a rental
- Identity and contact details — your name, ID or passport number, email address and phone number.
- Employment and income information — your employer, occupation and income, used to assess affordability.
- Banking details — where required, the account details used to set up a debit order for rent.
- Supporting documents — the documents your property company requests, such as your ID, payslips, bank statements and proof of payment.
If you are a tenant or occupant
- Identity and contact details — name, ID or passport number, email and phone number, for you and the occupants named on your lease.
- Your lease and tenancy records — the signed lease, charges and deposit records, notices, and your notice to vacate if you give one.
- Support and maintenance history — the tickets you raise, the messages on them, and any photos you attach.
- Inspection records — move-in and move-out inspection reports for your unit, including photos and signatures.
If you are staff or an inspector
- Identity and contact details — your name, email address and phone number, plus your role and what you're allowed to access.
- Activity records — the actions you take in the system are recorded in an audit log.
Device and technical data
- Push notification tokens — so we can deliver notifications to your phone through the mobile apps.
- Basic technical logs — such as sign-in events and error logs, used to keep the platform secure and working.
We do not collect your precise location, we do not track you across other apps or websites, and the marketing website does not use advertising trackers.
3.Why we use your information
- Running rental applications — receiving your application, requesting documents, and helping your property company assess affordability and vet applicants.
- Leases and money — preparing and digitally signing leases and debit order mandates, and keeping records of charges, deposits and proof of payment.
- Maintenance and support — logging, tracking and resolving the maintenance requests, support tickets and incidents you raise.
- Inspections — recording the condition of your unit at move-in and move-out, with photos and signatures, so both sides have a fair record.
- Keeping you informed — sending push notifications and emails about your application, lease, tickets and notices. These are service messages, not marketing.
- Security and accountability — maintaining audit logs of who did what and when, and protecting accounts and data.
4.Our legal bases
Under POPIA, personal information may only be processed on lawful grounds. PropBoard relies on:
- Performing a contract — most processing is necessary to assess your application and to conclude and manage your lease.
- Legal obligations — some records, such as signed leases and financial records, must be kept for periods set by law.
- Legitimate interests — limited processing needed to keep the platform secure, prevent fraud and maintain audit trails.
- Consent — where the law requires it, for example specific vetting checks your property company asks you to authorise during your application.
5.Where your data lives, and how we protect it
- Hosted on Microsoft Azure — PropBoard runs on Microsoft Azure infrastructure.
- Isolated per company — each property company has its own separate database. Data is never mixed between companies.
- Encrypted in transit — all traffic between your device and PropBoard is encrypted using TLS.
- Access-controlled — role-based access means staff only see what their role requires; sign-in for tenants and applicants uses one-time PIN (OTP) verification.
- Audit-logged — actions on applications and tenancies are recorded, creating a defensible record of who did what and when.
No system can promise perfect security, but we design for it deliberately and review access regularly. If we become aware of a breach affecting your personal information, we will notify the affected property company and the Information Regulator as POPIA requires.
6.Who we share your information with
We do not sell personal information. Ever. Your information is shared only with:
- Your property company — the agency or landlord you applied to or rent from, and the staff members whose roles require access (for example leasing, vetting, finance or inspections).
- Service providers that help us run the platform — cloud hosting (Microsoft Azure), email delivery, and push notification delivery. They process data only on our instructions and only to provide their service.
- Authorities, where the law requires it — if we are legally compelled to disclose information, we will do so only to the extent required.
Your property company may also use your information for its own purposes connected to your tenancy — for example arranging a contractor for a repair. For those decisions, the property company is the responsible party, and its own privacy practices apply alongside this policy.
7.How long we keep it
- While your application or tenancy is active — we keep your records so your property company can manage the relationship.
- After it ends — records that the law requires us to keep, such as signed lease agreements and financial and payment records, are retained for the legally required periods, then deleted.
- Unsuccessful applications — kept only as long as your property company reasonably needs them, then deleted.
8.Your rights
Under POPIA you have the right to:
- Access — ask what personal information we hold about you and receive a copy.
- Correction — ask us to fix information that is inaccurate or out of date.
- Deletion — ask us to delete your account and personal data. You can do this on our account deletion page, from inside the tenant app, or by emailing us. We complete verified deletions within 30 days, keeping only what the law obliges us to retain.
- Objection — object to processing carried out on legitimate-interest grounds.
- Complaint — lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe your information has been mishandled.
To exercise any of these rights, email privacy@propboard.tech from the email address on your account. We may ask you to verify your identity before acting on a request.
9.Children and occupant minors
PropBoard accounts are for adults. Where a lease lists minor children as occupants, their basic details (such as name and age) are captured by the adult leaseholder as part of the lease, and are processed only for tenancy administration. We do not knowingly create accounts for, or communicate directly with, children.
10.Changes to this policy
If we change this policy in a way that meaningfully affects you, we will update the effective date at the top of this page and, for significant changes, notify you through the platform. The current version always lives at this address.
11.Contact us
Questions, requests or concerns about your personal information:
If your question is about your lease, your rent or a decision on your application, contact your property company directly — they are the responsible party for those decisions. We're always happy to help you find the right contact.