Several tenants have been left furious after claiming they were forced to pay a fee to complete a background check before the estate agent had even considered their application for a property.
Tenants’ rights activist Jordan van den Berg shared a screenshot with X on Monday of a potential tenant who had to pay $29.95 via the mobile app 2Apply.
“Please f*** it up,” Mr van den Berg wrote in the caption.
2Apply is one of many apps renters use to conduct background checks to qualify for a home.
The app offered the renter two options: a basic check that would cost $19.95 or a premium check that would cost $29.95.
The 2Apply rental application form suggests tenants ‘show you’re a good tenant’ by paying $19.95 for a basic check or $29.95 for a premium check
Social media users called the fee a “scam,” with many claiming they only qualified for a rental property after paying the optional background check fee.
The premium check promises to verify the tenant’s identity, speed up the application process and help potential tenants prove that they are a reliable tenant.
The application 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.
The service is also used by real estate agents and property managers for everyday tasks including managing applications, booking inspections and keeping track of keys.
Social media users denounce the fees they had to pay at the request of real estate agents.
‘I just filled out one of these 2Apply applications – if after providing your Medicare card, passport or license, a utility bill, multiple pay stubs from your employer and two professional referees they still need more information to verify your identity , they can start jumping,’ one person wrote.
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 processed until they paid for the background check or premium check.
‘It’s strange that it’s also almost mandatory. Without this, none of my applications have been viewed,” one person commented.
“I was rejected everywhere until I paid for this and after paying got the first one I applied for,” wrote a second.
A third said: ‘I’ve applied for about 15 rental properties and without them I kept getting knocked back. I caved and paid and got the first position I applied for.”
Another person suggested that the fee created a class system between those who can afford 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 by commercializing tenants’ desperation to secure housing,” they wrote.