The Social Housing Regulatory Authority (SHRA) invites applications for a two-year internship opportunity aimed at providing unemployed young graduates with valuable workplace experience in the social housing and property management sector.
The internship programme is designed to provide young South African graduates with practical workplace exposure while developing skills relevant to the built environment, property management and rental management fields.
Applications are invited for the position of Tenant Liaison Officer Intern, based in Cape Town, for a period of 24 months.
About the Social Housing Regulatory Authority
The Social Housing Regulatory Authority is a Schedule 3A public entity of the Department of Human Settlements. SHRA was established in terms of the Public Finance Management Act, No. 1 of 1999 (PFMA), and operates within the framework of the Social Housing Act, No. 16 of 2008.
SHRA has a mandate to provide rental social housing for low- to medium-income earners in accordance with the Social Housing Act.
The internship programme is aimed at providing unemployed young graduates with workplace experience and an opportunity to develop practical skills in a professional environment.
The programme is intended for young graduates below the age of 35 and is open to South African citizens.
Position Details
Job Title: Tenant Liaison Officer Intern
Location: Cape Town
Duration: 24 months
Reporting Line: Regional Manager or Portfolio Manager
Job Level: To be determined
The successful intern will assist with the management of a SOHCO complex, including tenant relationships, rental collection, leasing of units, maintenance queries and general administration.
The position provides exposure to several areas of property and rental management and can help graduates develop practical experience relevant to future employment in the sector.
Role Purpose
The purpose of the Tenant Liaison Officer Intern position is to assist with the management of the SOHCO complex and support effective relationships with tenants.
The intern will assist with rental collection, leasing of units, maintenance queries, tenant relations and administrative duties.
The role also includes assisting with tenant applications, onboarding, record keeping, rental accounts, debt collection, lease management and welfare-related support.
Key Responsibilities
Marketing
The intern will participate in formal and informal networking activities and assist with marketing-related activities.
Responsibilities include ensuring that signage at the property is visible and providing prospective tenants with information about available products and services.
Prospective tenants may also be provided with relevant brochures, pamphlets and documentation outlining the requirements and criteria for available housing opportunities.
Pre-Take-On Assessment
The intern will assist prospective tenants with completing application forms and preparing the required documentation.
Applications will be received, sorted and reviewed to determine whether applicants meet the applicable pre-qualification criteria.
Where additional information is required, the intern may assist with sourcing the necessary information.
The position also involves assisting with credit checks and rating applications that have gone through the credit vetting process.
Applicants who qualify may be contacted and advised that their applications have been approved, while applicants who do not qualify may be contacted and informed that their applications were unsuccessful.
Take-On, Handover and Record Keeping
The intern will assist with the leasing process and tenant onboarding.
Responsibilities include capturing leasing information on the Novtel system and scanning and uploading documentation to the shared drive and Novtel Relations.
The intern will also assist with sorting and maintaining physical files in the office and electronic files on the shared drive.
Accurate record keeping is essential because property and tenant information must be properly organised and maintained.
Accounts
The intern will assist tenants with rental account queries.
This may involve responding to basic account-related questions, checking available information and referring more complex matters to the appropriate manager or department.
Debt Collection
The position includes assisting with the rental collection process.
Responsibilities may include distributing rental statements, following up with tenants who are in arrears and distributing arrears letters and final notices.
The intern may also assist with credit control procedures, including contacting tenants who have not paid by the sixth day of the month.
Visits to tenants who are more than one month in arrears may also form part of the responsibilities.
The role further includes weekly inspections of rental units in arrears to determine whether tenants remain in occupation or have absconded.
Lease Management and Tenant Relationships
Tenant relations are an important part of the internship.
The intern will assist with tenant queries and complaints, enforce applicable house rules and assist with resolving complaints between parties.
Where disputes arise, the intern may assist in facilitating amicable resolutions and referring matters to management where necessary.
Additional responsibilities include issuing notices and warnings, conducting tenant occupancy audits and establishing contacts with social workers and welfare agencies that can assist tenants.
The role requires strong interpersonal skills, emotional control, professionalism and the ability to communicate effectively with people from different backgrounds.
Maintenance Queries
The intern will assist tenants with maintenance complaints and queries.
Maintenance calls and walk-in queries must be logged accurately and referred through the appropriate procedures.
The property management system will be used to assist with the control and management of maintenance requests.
This responsibility provides practical exposure to property maintenance administration and the coordination of tenant-related maintenance matters.
Office Administration
The intern will provide general office administration support as required by the manager.
Duties may include filing, record keeping, data capturing, document management and other administrative responsibilities associated with the effective management of the property.
Qualifications and Requirements
Applicants must meet the requirements specified for the internship opportunity.
The requirements include:
- Grade 12 education
- Relevant qualification in the built environment, building management, property management, rental management or a related field
- Computer literacy
The programme is aimed at unemployed young graduates below the age of 35.
The opportunity is open to South African citizens.
Candidates should ensure that the qualification held is relevant to the advertised internship before submitting an application.
Generic Skills
Candidates should have the following skills:
- Communication
- Facilitation
- Customer service
- Computer literacy
- Administration
- Record keeping
- Attention to detail
- Interpersonal skills
- Teamwork
Personal Attributes
The position requires candidates who demonstrate:
- Emotional control
- Interpersonal skills
- Attention to detail
- Teamwork
- Adaptability
- Flexibility
- Professionalism
- Willingness to learn
Good communication and customer service abilities are particularly important because the position involves regular interaction with tenants, prospective tenants, managers and other stakeholders.
Application Requirements
Applicants must complete the SHRA application form, which is available for download from the SHRA vacancies page.
Applications must be accompanied by the following documents:
- Completed SHRA application form
- Certified copy of Identity Document
- Certified copies of qualifications
- Comprehensive CV
- Proof of residential address
Applicants are instructed not to send pictures. Only documents in an accepted format will be considered.
Applications that do not include the required documentation will not be considered.
Candidates should ensure that all documents are clear, complete and properly prepared before submission.
Verification and Background Checks
By submitting an application, candidates automatically consent to the relevant verification processes.
These checks may include qualification verification, criminal background checks, employment checks, credit checks, company ownership or directorship checks and reference checks.
All information supplied during the application process should therefore be accurate and complete.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted by email to: [email protected]
Applications must be received on or before 15 September 2026.
Late applications will not be considered.
The SHRA application form can be downloaded from the official vacancies page:
SHRA Vacancies: https://www.shra.org.za/vacancies/
Applicants should complete the prescribed application form and attach all required supporting documents before submitting the application.
Important Information
SHRA reserves the right to make or not make appointments.
Correspondence regarding the advertised internship will be limited to successful candidates.
If no response is received from SHRA within 90 days after the closing date, the application should be regarded as unsuccessful.
Closing Date
15 September 2026
Application Email Address
Internship Location
- Cape Town, Western Cape
Internship Duration
- 24 months
Who Can Apply?
The internship is intended for unemployed South African citizens below the age of 35 who have completed Grade 12 and hold a relevant qualification in the built environment, building management, property management, rental management or a related field.
Candidates interested in gaining practical experience in social housing, tenant relations, leasing, rental administration, debt collection, property maintenance and office administration are encouraged to consider this opportunity.
The Tenant Liaison Officer Intern position offers practical workplace exposure across several areas of property management. Graduates can gain experience in dealing with tenants, processing applications, maintaining records, managing rental-related queries, assisting with leasing processes and supporting day-to-day property administration.
Interested applicants should review the requirements carefully, download and complete the official SHRA application form, prepare all required supporting documents and submit the application before the 15 September 2026 deadline.