Australia’s rental crisis: Former NRL star Casey Conway shocked by question on rental application

A former NRL star has been stumped by a question on a rental application amid Australia’s housing crisis.

Casey Conway, a proud indigenous man and activist for the LGBTI community, was applying for a property when he came across the perplexing inquiry.

The online form asked if “any applicant identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander” and Conway took to social media to ask why.

“Why am I being asked this question on a rental application?” Conway asked on Twitter, with many users suggesting it was “unnecessary” and “irrelevant.”

After Conway’s original tweet received more than 200,000 views, the athlete-turned-model took to Twitter to criticize ‘racists’ in his comments.

“It’s outrageous how invasive the questions are on these apps, appalling,” one user commented.

‘This should, and I do mean SHOULD be removed from the review application,’ said another.

‘There is no reason to ask this question. It is illegal to ask. They should not be answered, and they should be denounced,” said a third.

“Some of the answers here have similar biases and are just as inappropriate as the question on the form.”

After his original tweet went viral, the jock-turned-model was forced to address the ‘racists’ in the comments.

“All these racists hiding behind profiles with no names or photos, probably thinking they’re hurting my feelings, they’re really giving off little energy,” she said.

‘Cowards who don’t like themselves.’

The form was hosted on a website called Snug, which functions as an intermediary between tenants and real estate agents.

Sky-high rents and a lack of rental properties have become a crisis in Australia in the past 12 months (shown, lines to inspect a rental property in Sydney last year)

Snug scores tenants based on their profile and matches them with eligible properties, with tenants receiving a higher score if they offer to pay more rent.

Renters apply by completing a profile, which includes data such as legal identification, references and payment receipts.

Tenants can also submit bank statements and background checks if they wish.

In many Australian states, estate agents and landlords are not allowed to ask tenants about their race, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital status, children, or religion.

In Tasmania, tenants are not required to disclose their criminal records, while in Victoria, the tenant’s profession is also protected, as is their criminal record.

Nationwide, rents rose 6.7 percent to an average of $495 a week in 2022, but the problem was much worse in capital cities (for-sale signs in Gosford, NSW pictured)

It comes as sky-high rents and a lack of rental properties have become a crisis in Australia in the last 12 months.

Nationwide, rents rose 6.7 percent to an average of $495 a week in 2022, but the problem was far worse in capital cities.

In cities like Melbourne and Sydney, increased post-Covid demand for fewer properties saw unit rents rise 9.3%, while houses rose 8.3%.

Rent has become a key issue in the upcoming NSW state election, with the Opposition Labor Party saying it will create a Rent Commissioner to advocate for tenants and boost rental supply in the regions if it wins. the power.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Snug for comment.