Several tenants were left furious after claiming they had to pay a fee to complete a background check before the real estate agent would even consider their property application.
Tenant rights activist Jordan van den Berg shared a screenshot with X on Monday of a prospective tenant being charged $29.95 on the 2Apply mobile app.
“Please fuck this,” Van den Berg wrote in the caption.
2Apply is one of several apps that renters use to complete background checks in order to be considered for a property.
The app offered the tenant two options: a basic check that would cost $19.95 or a premium check that would cost $29.95.
2Apply’s rental application form suggests tenants “prove that you are a good tenant” by paying $19.95 for a basic check or $29.95 for a premium check.
Social media users criticized the fee as a “scam,” with many claiming they were not considered for a rental property until they paid the optional background check fee.
The premium check promises to verify the tenant’s identity, speed up the application process, and helps prospective tenants prove that they are a reliable and trustworthy tenant.
The app was developed by Australia-based global property management software company Inspect Real Estate.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted 2Apply for comment.
2Apply is a free service used by Inspect Real Estate agencies in Australia, the UK and New Zealand to help tenants apply and track their property applications.
Agents and property managers also use the service for daily tasks, including managing requests, booking inspections, and tracking keys.
Social media users criticized the fees they were forced to pay at the request of real estate agents.
‘I just completed one of these 2Apply applications: If after providing your Medicare card, passport or license, a utility bill, several payslips from your employer, and two professional referees you still need more information to verify your identity, you can get started . ‘, wrote one.
2Apply is a free service used by Inspect Real Estate agencies in Australia, the UK and New Zealand to help tenants apply and track their property applications (stock image)
Some claimed their applications were not considered until they paid for the background check or premium check.
“It’s crazy that it’s also practically mandatory, none of my applications were looked at without this,” one commented.
“I got rejected everywhere until I paid for this and got the first one I requested after paying,” wrote a second.
A third chimed in: ‘I applied for about 15 rentals and was turned down each time without this. I gave in, paid, and got the first place I applied for.”
Another person suggested that the fee was creating a class system between those who can pay the fee and those who cannot.
‘It’s absolutely disgusting. “They are blatantly taking advantage of the state of the rental market by attempting to create a class system even within rental applications and commodifying tenants’ desperation to secure a property,” they wrote.