Finding a home to rent is hard enough. But before you’ve even stepped through the door for an inspection, rent tech platforms may have nudged you into a paid rewards program, charged you for ID verification, and pressured you into paying to store your own data.
In this episode, Arj speaks with Chandni Gupta (Deputy CEO and Digital Policy Director at the CPRC) about the findings of their new report, Key to Your Data: Behind the Rent Tech Interface.
Chandni and her team investigated the application process, platform experience and privacy policies across several rent tech platforms, and uncovered a swathe of dark patterns at play.
We also look at the legal landscape, including the impact of Victoria’s March 2026 rental law reforms, the proposed federal unfair trading prohibition, and whether the Privacy Act’s tranche two reforms will make a difference.
Chandni Gupta bio:
Chandni Gupta is the Deputy CEO and Digital Policy Director of Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) – Australia’s only dedicated consumer policy research organisation. She leads CPRC’s research and policy program, while also leading CPRC’s digital research stream. Her work includes exploring the consumer shift from the analogue towards the digital economy, the impact of deceptive and manipulative online design, and the key gaps that exist in consumer protections. She is also a Churchill Fellow following her research and policy work on dark patterns. Chandni’s research has been widely featured across Australian media and has been used by the Australian Government and regulators. Prior to CPRC, Chandni has worked in state and federal agencies, including the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and has worked internationally both at the United Nations and the OECD.
Links
