Rental management company PayProp has recommended legal and personal background searches on prospective tenants, and reference checking, because of the spike in fraud in the rental property market.

Falsified bank statements, employer documents and fake IDs are being used by people trying to secure a place to live, according to PayProp, which annually releases research into the rental market.

Only one in four tenants is paying rent in full each month, the report on rental trends for 2018 found, says TimesLIVE.

The jump in the cost of living, the wavering economy and unemployment reaching a 27.5% high have all played a role.

Landlords are encouraged to use discretion with long-term tenants, according to the report, because people are spending an average of 42% more than they are making.

Vacancy rates have increased to 8%. The report found that rental growth rates have not kept pace with the inflation rate, and have been slowing across the board.

Since January 2017, the growth rate has dropped from 8.3% to 3.7%. KZN and Limpopo are still showing negative growth rates.

Landlords are increasingly moving to Airbnb rentals rather than sticking with long-term tenants, the report said. This way, they make more money over a shorter period.

Full TimesLIVE report