In-app-propriate: renters quizzed on personal details
Even though the technology can request highly personal information and charge fees, thousands of renters are forced to use digital platforms and apps to manage their stays.
Questions on rental applications can range from the applicant’s marital status and sexual orientation to their cultural background and bank account balance.
The Center for Consumer Policy Research released findings on Tuesday from a study of Victorian renters that found almost half had been asked to use rental technology platforms.
The study comes after the Victorian government introduced legislative changes to strengthen tenants’ rights and rental vacancy rates across Australia remain stubbornly low.
The centre’s study, Renting in Reality, surveyed 1000 renters and 300 landlords in Victoria about their use and experience of digital rental platforms.
It found that almost half of tenants (45 percent) need to use rental technology and more than half of landlords choose it to manage their properties (58 percent).
Some consumers were asked to use apps or websites to apply for rental accommodation (23 percent), while others had to use them to record repair requests (25 percent), pay their rent (21 percent) or record inspections (14 percent).
Chandni Gupta, vice president of the Center for Consumer Policy Research, said renters are often given little choice other than using in-demand tech agencies or landlords, and some apps ask highly personal and inappropriate questions.
“We found that 42 per cent of tenants were asked for far more information than they should have at the rental application stage, from bank statements to sexual orientation, from previous court complaints to medical records and cultural background,” he told AAP.
“One concern is that the amount of data collected could lead to social profiling and potentially preventing people from being offered a home to rent.”
Other concerns highlighted in the report included fees charged to tenants for using digital platforms and privacy concerns regarding photos and videos taken during home inspections.
Ms Gupta said rent protections introduced in Victoria at the beginning of December required greater privacy protections and standardized practices, which could force change, but tenants in other parts of Australia also needed help.
