# Deposit-Free Leasing. Institutional Risk Protection.
URL: https://www.leasesurance.co/
Title: Deposit-Free Lease Insurance for Institutional Landlords | LeaseSurance
Summary: Deposit-free lease insurance for South African residential and commercial portfolios. Insurance-backed cover replaces cash deposits and cuts leasing admin.
---
Lease insurance for residential and commercial portfolios. Insurance-backed protection replaces the cash deposit: broader cover for the landlord, no upfront lump sum for the tenant.

[Speak to Us](https://www.leasesurance.co/contact)

How It Works

[Residential portfoliosZero Deposit™](https://www.leasesurance.co/zero-deposit)

[Commercial portfoliosZero Capital™](https://www.leasesurance.co/zero-capital)

The Problem

## Deposits Are Outdated Financial Instruments {#deposits-are-outdated}

We replace refundable collateral with insured protection. Tenants are not asked for a lump sum up front, and landlords hold broader cover with less admin than a deposit.

What the tenant pays up front

Cash depositA lump sum before they can move in.

LeaseSurance coverA small monthly fee, billed with the rent.

What the landlord holds

Cash depositThe single month a deposit holds.

LeaseSurance coverCover set as a multiple of monthly rent, 3-5x more than a deposit.

Where the money sits

Cash depositIn a trust account, for the life of the lease.

LeaseSurance coverNothing to hold. The cover is underwritten by Guardrisk Insurance Company Limited (FSP (Financial Services Provider) 75).

At move-out

Cash depositA deposit dispute to settle and a refund to reconcile.

LeaseSurance coverA final account, filed online.

When there is a loss

Cash depositYou set it off against the deposit yourself.

LeaseSurance coverA claim, settled by a licensed administrator in 7 to 14 business days.

Why LeaseSurance

## Built for Institutional Portfolios {#why-leasesurance}

Three principles that shape every product we build.

### Liquidity First {#liquidity-first}

With no deposit to save for, tenants can move in sooner and landlords fill vacancies sooner. Capital stops sitting in trust accounts.

### Institutional Protection {#institutional-protection}

Insurance-backed cover priced to your portfolio risk. Cover is set as a multiple of monthly rent, which is more than a deposit holds.

### Operational Efficiency {#operational-efficiency}

Billing, claims and recoveries run through one workflow. Less admin, and portfolio status you can check at any time.

Our Products

## Four Products, One Programme {#our-products}

Cover for residential and commercial portfolios, rewards for tenants who pay on time, and one portal for claims, billing and reporting.

- [Zero Deposit™](https://www.leasesurance.co/zero-deposit) — Residential Residential lease insurance replacing cash deposits with an affordable monthly fee. Learn more

- [Zero Capital™](https://www.leasesurance.co/zero-capital) — Commercial Deposit-free commercial leasing replacing expensive bank guarantees or cash deposits. Learn more

- [ZD Rewards™](https://www.leasesurance.co/zd-rewards) — Residential Behavioural incentive layer that rewards on-time payments and property care. Learn more

- [LeaseHub™](https://www.leasesurance.co/leasehub) — All portfolios Digital portal for claims, billing, recoveries and portfolio health. Learn more

Process

## How LeaseSurance Works {#how-it-works}

Four steps from implementation to the first claim, with no disruption to how the portfolio runs today.

1

### Portfolio Assessment {#portfolio-assessment}

We assess your portfolio's risk profile and set cover levels to match it.

2

### PMS (property management system) Integration {#pms-property-management-system-integration}

LeaseSurance connects directly to your existing property management system. Nothing moves to a manual process.

3

### Tenant Onboarding {#tenant-onboarding}

New tenants opt in when they sign the lease. A small monthly fee replaces the upfront cash deposit.

4

### Claims & Recovery {#claims-recovery}

At lease end, claims are processed through our insurance-backed structure. Payouts average 7 to 14 business days and the cover runs deeper than a deposit.

Most portfolios are fully operational within 4 to 8 weeks. Existing leases are not touched: the programme is introduced for new leases and renewals only.

- **50,000+** — Residential Units Under Management Served

- **67%** — New-Lease Adoption

- **6** — Integration Partners

- **Zero** — Claims Rejected to Date

New-lease adoption is measured at properties offering the waiver. Claims record is across all claims filed on the programme to date.

About LeaseSurance

## The Leading Lease Insurance Provider in South Africa {#about-leasesurance}

LeaseSurance is a South African FinTech, PropTech and InsureTech company providing deposit-free lease insurance to institutional landlords and property managers.

Policies are backed by Guardrisk Insurance Company Limited (FSP (Financial Services Provider) 75) through a licensed, regulated cell captive structure. Each portfolio is underwritten on its own risk and ring-fenced, never cross-subsidised by another.

### Regulated & Licensed {#regulated-licensed}

Authorised FSP with cell captive structure and institutional underwriter.

### Portfolio-Specific {#portfolio-specific}

Every portfolio is underwritten on its own risk profile. No cross-subsidisation.

### Technology-Driven {#technology-driven}

Integrated with major PMS (property management system) platforms. Automated billing, claims and reporting.

### South African Built {#south-african-built}

Designed for the local market. Compliant with SA insurance and POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act) legislation.

## Why Institutional Landlords Are Choosing Lease Insurance Over Cash Deposits {#why-lease-insurance}

Across South Africa's largest residential and commercial property portfolios, the cash deposit is being replaced. LeaseSurance is at the forefront of this transition in the South African market.

We work with some of the country's largest managed residential portfolios, and the underwriting, regulatory compliance and system integration are built for that scale. Residential apartments, commercial office space or mixed-use portfolios: the structure is the same.

- [How one portfolio lifted occupancy 11 points without touching rent](https://www.leasesurance.co/blog/portfolio-occupancy-11-points-without-touching-rent) — Case study A 5,000-unit residential book swapped the cash deposit for a waiver. Occupancy went from 87% to 98%, concessions dried up and bad debt halved. Read the case study

FAQs

## Frequently Asked Questions {#faqs}

The questions institutional landlords, property managers and investment committees ask us most often.

### Cover and claims {#cover-and-claims}

### What is LeaseSurance? {#what-is-leasesurance}

LeaseSurance is a South African FinTech and InsureTech company that provides deposit-free lease insurance for residential and commercial property portfolios. We replace traditional cash deposits with insurance-backed protection. Landlords get broader coverage, 3-5x more than a cash deposit. Tenants are not asked for an upfront lump sum. Our products operate through a regulated cell captive structure underwritten by Guardrisk Insurance Company Limited (FSP (Financial Services Provider) 75).

### How does it work? {#how-does-it-work}

Instead of a large upfront cash deposit, tenants pay a small monthly fee that is collected alongside their rent through your existing property management system. The landlord holds insurance-backed coverage at multiples of monthly rent for rent arrears, property damage, early termination and skips. Claims are filed online through the LeaseSurance platform and processed by a licensed administrator.

### What does it cover? {#what-does-it-cover}

LeaseSurance covers three primary loss categories: damages (physical damage to the property beyond fair wear and tear), evictions (missed rent during the notice period plus legal fees), and skips (when a tenant vacates without notice, covering outstanding rent and damages). Coverage is 3-5x more than a traditional cash deposit would provide. The specific cover level is set per portfolio based on your risk assessment.

### How does the claims process work? {#how-does-the-claims-process-work}

At lease end, the property manager prepares a final account (arrears, damages, cleaning) and files the claim online through the LeaseSurance Dashboard. A licensed administrator processes the claim, not an internal team. The average payout takes 7 to 14 business days from submission of a complete claim. Progress is tracked in LeaseHub™ with real-time status updates.

### Commercials and billing {#commercials-and-billing}

### How does billing work? {#how-does-billing-work}

A native charge code is added to your property management system. The monthly fee is billed to the tenant as part of their standard rent statement, so there is no separate invoicing. LeaseSurance then invoices the property manager monthly for all active policies in the portfolio. Billing, reconciliation and reporting are automated through the PMS (property management system) integration.

### Do tenants need to apply separately? {#do-tenants-need-to-apply-separately}

No. Tenants do not apply directly to LeaseSurance. When a tenant is approved by the landlord or property manager, they are automatically enrolled in the programme. There is no separate application form, no additional credit check and no approval waiting period. The monthly fee appears as a line item on their standard rent statement.

### What happens if a tenant stops paying the monthly fee? {#what-happens-if-a-tenant-stops-paying-the-monthly-fee}

The landlord keeps full protection for the duration of the lease, whether or not the tenant keeps paying the monthly fee. Coverage does not lapse if the fee is missed. The fee forms part of the tenant's standard monthly obligations and is collected alongside rent through the PMS. The same collection process applies as for any other rental charge.

### Does it cover lease renewals? {#does-it-cover-lease-renewals}

Yes. Zero Deposit™ can be extended to cover lease renewals, so protection continues across the full tenancy. Renewal pricing applies to new leases only. Existing tenants are not repriced mid-lease, so the product can be introduced for new leases and renewals without affecting tenants already in the portfolio.

### What is ZD Rewards™? {#what-is-zd-rewards}

ZD Rewards™ is a behavioural incentive layer unique to LeaseSurance. Tenants accumulate rewards for on-time payments and property care throughout their tenancy. The bulk of the rewards are linked to settling the final account at move-out. That gives tenants a financial incentive to leave cleanly. LeaseSurance funds the rewards in full, at zero cost to the landlord, and delivers them through a mobile app on Google Play and the App Store.

### Governance and rollout {#governance-and-rollout}

### Is LeaseSurance regulated and licensed? {#is-leasesurance-regulated-and-licensed}

Yes. The LeaseSurance Agent (Pty) Ltd is an authorised financial services provider in terms of FAIS (Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act), FSP 55633. All policies are underwritten by Guardrisk Insurance Company Limited, a licensed non-life insurer regulated by the Prudential Authority, FSP 75. The cell captive structure ring-fences each portfolio's risk, so it is never pooled or cross-subsidised. This governance framework meets the requirements of institutional investment committees and compliance officers.

### Who is LeaseSurance designed for? {#who-is-leasesurance-designed-for}

LeaseSurance is built for institutional landlords and property management companies running portfolios of 500 units or more. Our clients include residential REITs (real estate investment trusts), commercial property funds, and multi-portfolio property managers across South Africa. It is not a product for an individual landlord with one or two properties. The model is built for scale.

### Is it available for both residential and commercial? {#is-it-available-for-both-residential-and-commercial}

Yes. Zero Deposit™ serves residential portfolios and Zero Capital™ serves commercial portfolios. Both operate under the same licensed, insurance-backed structure. ZD Rewards™ (behavioural incentive layer) is currently available for residential programmes. LeaseHub™ (digital infrastructure) supports both residential and commercial. Products can be deployed independently or together for mixed-use portfolios.

### Will it integrate with our PMS? {#will-it-integrate-with-our-pms}

Yes. LeaseSurance integrates with MRI Property Central, MRI PMX, WeconnectU, PayProp, Modus10 and Xero. Billing, tenant onboarding, lease checkout, claims and property performance metrics all flow through your existing system without manual intervention.

### How quickly can it be implemented? {#how-quickly-can-it-be-implemented}

Most portfolios are fully operational within 4 to 8 weeks. That covers portfolio assessment, PMS integration, team training and tenant onboarding configuration. Existing leases are not touched: the programme is introduced for new leases and renewals only.

## Ready to Modernise Your Lease Protection? {#ready-to-modernise}

South African institutional landlords are replacing cash deposits with insurance-backed lease protection. Speak to our team about your portfolio.

[View Governance](https://www.leasesurance.co/risk-governance)

Integration Partners

MRI Property Central

MRI PMX

WeconnectU

PayProp

Modus10

Xero