Rental applications and your privacy

Use the current standard form

The standardised application requirements commenced on 1 May 2025. A managing party must use the applicable RTA application form and provide at least two ways to submit it, with one option that is not restrictive.

Read every consent before submitting information through a third-party platform. Ask why information is needed if it appears unrelated to assessing the tenancy application.

Reduce unnecessary exposure

Keep a copy of what you submitted and where it was sent. Redact information that is not required where appropriate, and do not send identity documents through an unverified message or link. Report suspected misuse to the relevant organisation promptly.

Start with the standard form and two submission choices

For a general tenancy or moveable dwelling, the application should follow the current Form 22 requirements; rooming accommodation uses Form R22. An agency may use its own presentation only if the information and process comply with the Act and regulation. Each applicant in a joint application can complete a separate form rather than circulating one document containing everyone's sensitive details.

At least two submission methods must be available and at least one must not be restrictive. A route can be restrictive if it forces an applicant to send personal data through an unrelated third-party platform or pay to apply or fund a background check. Direct email or a direct online route to the managing party can be the non-restrictive option.

Information the application may and may not request

The permitted fields focus on contact details, earlier tenancies, current employment and income, referees, intended term, date of birth, proposed occupants, vehicles, financial ability and proposed pets. Read each field against the standard form. A voluntary extra document is different from information the agent requires as a condition of considering the application.

The managing party cannot ask the applicant for records of legal or tribunal action, Form 11 or R11 breach notices, rental-bond claim history, or bank and credit transaction statements. If a questionable field appears, preserve the form and ask which standard-form item authorises it. Do not invent an answer merely to get past a compulsory box.

There is a limit on supporting documents

A managing party can request up to two documents from each of three categories: identity, financial ability to pay, and suitability for the property. That creates a maximum request structure of two per category, not an unlimited upload list. Choose documents that prove the point while revealing the least unrelated information.

Identity can be verified by showing the original or supplying a copy. If an original is sighted, the managing party can record reasonably necessary details. Keeping a copy requires the applicant's consent. Watermark a supplied copy for the rental application where appropriate, use the approved channel and keep a record of what was transmitted and to whom.

Protect bank and income information

Pay slips, Centrelink letters, proof of savings and bank material can show financial ability. If a bank statement is requested, the agent must tell the applicant that transaction details do not need to be included. Redact purchases and transfers while retaining the name, balance or income evidence needed for the assessment.

Self-employed, casual and freelance applicants can use other documents that genuinely demonstrate ability to pay; a full transaction history is not the only way to establish income or savings. Before uploading, check the domain, recipient and privacy notice. Avoid sending identity documents through a link received from an unverified text message.

Third parties, referees and tenancy databases

An online platform may process the application, but the direct submission option and privacy safeguards still matter. Read consent wording for reuse, marketing and disclosure. Property managers and owners must securely store and destroy application information as required; ask for their privacy contact if you need to correct data or understand retention.

Different restrictions apply to information obtained from a nominated referee, so choose referees carefully and tell them what the application concerns. If tenancy databases are ordinarily used, the applicant must be told which databases, why they are checked and how to contact the operator and obtain information. Keep that notice in case a listing needs to be investigated.

If the process appears unlawful or discriminatory

The RTA does not conciliate disputes about the application process, but it can investigate alleged offences. Preserve the advertisement, form fields, submission instructions, emails, fee demand and privacy wording, then use the RTA's current investigation route if you believe the application rules were breached.

Discrimination complaints use a different pathway. The Queensland Human Rights Commission handles accommodation complaints involving protected attributes. A rejection by itself does not prove discrimination, so record the statement, criterion, date and people involved. Seek advice promptly because complaint time limits and evidence requirements can apply.