RENTTECH FIRMS DODGE NEW VICTORIAN TENANT PRIVACY LAWS

The CPRC identified rental platforms encouraging hopeful tenants to share data 'completely outside' the scope of new regulations designed to safeguard tenant privacy. Victoria recently introduced laws limiting the personal information rental companies can collect during applications. However, some RentTech firms are working around these protections by requesting additional details through separate channels or stages of the rental process. The review found platforms asking for excessive amounts of information beyond what is necessary for standard rental assessments. This practice effectively undermines the intent of the new legislation. The findings highlight a compliance gap between regulatory intent and industry practice. Regulators will need to clarify rules around information collection methods and timing to close loopholes being exploited by rental platforms. Tenants using these services may unknowingly share sensitive data despite legal protections now in place.