
Rental properties missing out on energy upgrades
Australian renters are missing out on energy upgrades due to landlords' lack of motivation, resulting in higher power bills and reduced home comfort

Australian renters are missing out on energy upgrades due to landlords' lack of motivation, resulting in higher power bills and reduced home comfort

A renter in Wollongong is significantly reducing his electricity bills by using portable solar panels and lithium batteries. Advocacy groups are pushing for policies to allow renters easier access to similar energy-saving technologies.

Australia's privacy commissioner Carly Kind has ordered 2Apply, operated by InspectRealEstate, to cease collecting excessive personal information from rental applicants, finding the data collection unfair and exploitative amid the housing crisis. The determination identified 10 categories of unnecessary data including gender, dependents, bankruptcy status, citizenship and visa expiry. The platform processed over 8.5 million applications as of March 2025 and used 'confirmshaming' tactics to pressure tenants into providing excessive information.