For real estate & property managers
Tenant screening just became something you have to disclose
From 10 December 2026, automated tenant screening and application scoring are 'automated decisions' you must disclose under the Privacy Act changes. Real estate was already named in the regulator's 2026 privacy sweep.
Check your exposure (3 min)What's likely in scope for you
- Automated tenant screening and background-check tools
- Application scoring or ranking of prospective tenants
- Automated rent or pricing recommendations tied to a person
- Any tool that approves or rejects people without a human deciding
General guidance, not legal advice. The exact scope depends on how each tool is used; the first step is mapping which of yours are caught.
Beyond compliance: the upside
- The same review makes your process defensible and quicker to explain to applicants and owners.
- AI that handles routine enquiries and listing admin frees your team for the relationship work that wins listings.
We're an AI advisory and implementation partner, not a law firm. We help you make these systems both defensible and genuinely better, so you handle the deadline once and come out ahead, not just covered.
Common questions
Our screening is provided by a third party. Are we liable?
Yes. The obligation sits with the agency that deploys the tool, not the provider. Buying it in doesn't transfer the responsibility.
Is this just a privacy-policy update?
The disclosure is part of it, but the rules also expect you to know which decisions are automated and to be able to explain them. Mapping that is the real first step.
See where your firm stands
Three minutes, plain questions, a map of what's in scope for real estate & property and what to do before December.
Check your exposure