‘Wild west’: Australia’s would-be tenants asked about tattoos and social media as calls grow for regulation

Sydney renter Paris Zarmairian says her experience applying for one property was ‘incredibly invasive’. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian

There are growing calls to regulate the personal information real estate agents can request from potential tenants, with renters asked to hand over 12 months’ worth of bank statements, their personal social media profiles and in one case, whether they had prominent tattoos.

Paris Zarmairian was applying for a rental at the end of May in Sydney when her agent asked her to provide 12 months’ worth of bank statements.