A real estate agent has been criticized for asking a woman to provide ‘proof of savings’ as part of her rental application.
The woman, from Victoria, was surprised by the request, as she has never had to share her savings balance before.
After sharing the text message online, others quickly criticized the officer, calling the behavior an “invasion of privacy.”
When applying for a rental property, most Australians are only asked for proof of income, letters of reference and rental history.
However, bank statements may be legally requested for identity verification and proof of employment.
An Australian real estate agent has been criticized for asking a tenant to provide ‘proof of their savings’ as part of her rental application
The text stated that ‘proof of savings balance’ was required to ‘process the application’.
Despite being a legal request, many labeled the request as ‘unnecessary’ and ‘invasive’.
‘Landlords must then do the same! This way we tenants know that they can afford the maintenance! It’s a fucking joke,” one tenant wrote.
‘They asked me for a six-month bank statement! I said it’s my business what I spend my money on. Be determined. That is personal information. Especially if you work full time,” said another.
‘It’s like trying to get a mortgage and not wanting to rent a place – crazy!’ a third wrote.
A tenant in New South Wales said: ‘They’re all asking for this now. I feel like that way they can pick the person with the most money.”
“In Queensland they do this to make sure you have money for the bond, which they say is wrong,” another added.
However, according to Rent.com.auit is ‘not unusual’ for real estate agents or landlords to request bank statements to verify identity, financial stability and employment status.
The landlord can also demonstrate that the tenant is able to pay the rent on time.
But the tenant has the right to request clarification and discuss alternative solutions to maintain his privacy.