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Global Consumer Group Launches Push for New South Wales Government to Ban Rent-Bidding Apps

Thousands join SumOfUs in urging Premier Gladys Berejiklian to follow Victorian Government and ban rent bidding apps

SumOfUs, an international consumer group with more than 170,000 members in Australia has called on the New South Wales Government to ban the spread of โ€œpernicious and mercenaryโ€ new rent-bidding apps.

They say the apps – US-based Rentberry and local apps Property Connect and RentWolf – will push up rental prices by forcing applicants into rent-bidding wars.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced plans to outlaw the โ€œscourgeโ€ of rent-bidding last year while existing Queensland legislation prevents their use in the State.

Nick Haines, Senior Australian Campaigner for the global organisation said, โ€œWe keep hearing that the property market is overheated. Rent-bidding apps are the equivalent of pouring petrol on the bonfire. Everyone has the right to have a roof over their heads, and these apps put that even further out of reach for people who already face a ruthlessly competitive housing market.

โ€œThese cynical apps are here to cash in on a crisis. The only people celebrating their arrival in Australia are the Silicon Valley tech-bros who designed them.โ€

Mr Hains also called for the Berejiklian Government to follow Victoria’s lead and introduce legislation to ban rent-bidding apps before they become too widespread.

“There arenโ€™t many levers Governments can pull to curb runaway rental housing costs – but this is one of them – and their failure to do it will mean that their constituents will soon face even higher rents and increased discrimination from landlords.โ€

The NSW innovation minister, Matt Kean, told The Guardian the government would keep a โ€œclose eyeโ€ on rental bidding apps.

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View the petition here: http://sumofus.org/ban-rent-bidding

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