Implications of ‘data hunger’ in rental housing: protecting Australian tenants

This research project will investigate the scope and outcomes of technologically-enabled data collection practices in Australia’s private and social rental sectors. Current data practices, regulations and compliance will be examined to recommend appropriate data gathering, security and use, to improve protections for Australian renters.

The research will address the following questions:

1. What data is currently collected on tenants in private and social housing, and by what technologies? 
2. What are the practices and perspectives of key intermediaries for housing access? How are technologies—and the data they collect—being used?
3. What is the current regulatory and compliance landscape in NSW, Victoria and Federal for data governance?
4. What international regulatory practices can Australia learn from to better manage tenants’ data and minimise harm? 

The project will illuminate the technologies and data-collection practices that pose risks to tenants by better understanding their design, use and outcomes. The research will produce recommendations to minimise those risks by interrogating regulation at the intersections of data and technology, consumer protections and rental housing.

Lead Researcher: Dr Sophia Maalsen, University of Sydney

Project Number:  73339