Australia’s privacy commissioner has advised an online rental service to halt the collection of unnecessary personal details from users, following a finding that such practices heightened tenants’ risks during the ongoing housing shortage. In Australia, real estate agents commonly rely on digital platforms for processing rental applications and related documents. Research from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute indicates there are 57 such services active in the country. A report issued in January highlighted that while some personal data is essential for leasing agreements, excessive gathering increases threats to renters’ information security and confidentiality. Subscribe to the Breaking News Australia newsletter. In a groundbreaking ruling released on Wednesday against one provider, Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind determined that 2Apply, managed by InspectRealEstate, had unfairly amassed too much personal information. As one of Australia’s leading rental services, 2Apply had handled over 8.5 million applications by March 2025, according to the decision. The commissioner ruled that collecting details on gender, dependents, student status, bankruptcy history, retirement status, past residences, property ownership, other rental applications, assistance for bonds or rent, and citizenship or visa details was unnecessary. Additionally, the platform could reduce the amount of data requested for emergency contacts, vehicles, specific identification, income verification, and job information. The ruling identified ‘confirmshaming’ in 2Apply’s system, a technique that uses emotional pressure to prevent users from declining to share data. The application form suggested that submitting more information would accelerate processing and that withholding it might harm a user’s chances of being selected as a tenant. Kind stated: ‘These claims are not inherently false or deceptive… However, by using this phrasing, the company implies that the quantity and nature of shared personal details reflect a person’s fitness as a renter.’ InspectRealEstate was contacted for a response. The commissioner praised the company’s agreement to revise its data practices without admitting fault, but the decision mandates stopping the collection of non-essential information. Kind emphasized the unequal dynamics renters face when providing such data to secure housing. ‘The rental market features a substantial power disparity benefiting agents, managers, and owners,’ she noted. ‘As a facilitator for housing access, this imbalance also advantages platforms like 2Apply. This is worsened by the current rental shortage, escalating rents and living expenses, and fierce competition for homes. Without legal guarantees for housing, individuals are disadvantaged in the market and more susceptible to unjust treatment,’ Kind added. While the ruling targets 2Apply, the commissioner anticipates other rental technology firms will align their operations with these conclusions, and industry organizations have received the decision to guide improvements. Kind also pointed out that excessive data accumulation poses security hazards for these services, referencing reports from Guardian Australia about an examination of seven platforms where millions of rental files were potentially exposed online. Samantha Floreani, a digital rights expert and doctoral researcher on rental technology, described the decision as the result of extensive studies, campaigning, and journalism exposing the broad and intrusive data demands on tenants. ‘Numerous types of personal details are regularly demanded from renters that are irrelevant to their rent-paying ability or property maintenance,’ Floreani said. ‘Tenants should not face a trade-off between protecting their privacy and obtaining shelter.’
