How much information can a landlord ask me for?
If you are a prospective tenant, a landlord will need to collect some personal information about you, usually on a tenancy application form or the residential tenancy agreement.
When an agency collects personal information, the Privacy Act says it should only do so where it is necessary for a lawful purpose connected with the functions or activities of that agency.
The landlord will need the personal information that is necessary and relevant to the tenancy, to verify your identity and to make an assessment about what kind of tenant you might make. For instance, landlords should only collect the minimum amount of personal information necessary to make a decision on the tenancy application. While it might be lawful for a landlord to collect information such as wage slips and credit reports to assess a tenant's ability to rent, collecting bank statements to see how money was spent is unfair or unreasonably intrusive.
Tenancy application forms usually collect the following information:
- name and contact details
- where you’re living now and your renting history
- ID details
- referees whom the landlord can contact to find out more about you.
Many tenancy application forms also advise you the landlord will want to do a credit check on you.
Our office has produced guidelines for landlords and property managers on the types of information they can collect. You can find it here.
There’s also information about tenancy applications, including pre-tenancy applications, on the Tenancy Services website(external link).
Updated November 2021