Victoria’s rental taskforce has pushed an online platform to revise its application process as it didn’t adhere to the state’s latest rental reforms.
Consumer Affairs Victoria’s (CAV) rental taskforce has pushed 2Apply, the application platform by Reapit Group, to alter its process after some “optional” questions were deemed to be unlawful under the state’s new rental reforms.
Under the reforms, rental providers and agents can only ask for the information set out in the standardised forms, covering enough to verify the applicants’ identity and ability to pay rent.
CAV said that rental providers and agents face maximum penalties of over $62,700 for companies and over $12,500 for individuals if they request information from a rental applicant that is not in the standard application form.
The state has recently undergone significant changes to its real estate laws, announcing that agents will be required to list reserve and sale prices publicly.
The CAV rental taskforce has made its presence felt in recent weeks, fining three agencies thousands of dollars each for failing to advertise properties with a fixed price as part of the government’s move to strengthen the sector.
Under the state regulations, 2Apply’s optional questions could have caused rental providers and agents to break the law and face significant fines by requesting information that was no longer considered relevant enough to be placed on a standardised form.
With the issue identified by CAV’s taskforce while monitoring rental ads and the application forms linked to them, CAV director Nicole Rich said it was an important safeguard
“In a tight rental market, renters may feel pressured to provide extra personal information if they think it improves their chances of securing a property,” Rich said.
“That makes it easier for rental providers and agents to do the right thing and ensures renters don’t think they have to disclose unnecessary personal details.”
She said that providers and agents who continued to ask unlawful questions could face further enforcement actions.
Want to see more stories from trusted news sources?Make Real Estate Business a preferred news source on Google.
