Imperfect match: Australian renters in the dark over use of data by tech company Snug

Snug gives renters a score based on their profile but may be ‘incentivising renters to offer above the advertised price’, according to one expert. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

One of Australia’s fastest growing rental application platforms is using renters’ data in obscure and potentially discriminatory ways to “score” their applications against rental properties, and gives them a higher score when they offer to pay more rent, a Guardian Australia investigation has found.

Snug, which serves as an intermediary between renters and real estate agents, denies that it facilitates rental bidding. It claims its mission is to “make renting easier” thanks to a platform designed “to facilitate a better relationship between renters and agents”. It says it believes “transparent rental relationships result in better outcomes for all parties”.