Following an ABC report today that 160 real estate agencies around Australia, including Tasmania, are using an online platform which appears to ask that prospective tenants pay for a background check we wrote to the Residential Tenancy Commissioner to

1. Determine the legality of the request that prospective tenants pay for background blacklist checks; and
2. Inform Real Estate Agencies of their decision; and
3. Request that Real Estate Agencies, who unlawfully collected or allowed the collection of monies, reimburse rental applicants.

Find the full letter below or linked here.