Complaints made to fair trading in relation to rent bidding in NSW 2017-2018

Nick Haines made this Government Information (Public Access) request to NSW Fair Trading

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Dear NSW Fair Trading,

I would like to request documents which detail complaints received by NSW Fair Trading in relation to the practice of 'rent bidding'.

By rent bidding mean I mean: the practice whereby landlords, their agents, or third party services encourage or force prospective tenants to bid over the value of a residential lease.

I am requesting:

- how many complaints NSW Fair Trading has received about rent bidding
- how many complaints NSW Fair Trading received about online rent bidding applications such as RentBerry, RentWolf, Property Connect
- any documents, for example email correspondence, reports, briefs, memorandum, notes for file which detail complaints NSW Fair Trading has received about rent bidding from 1 January 2017 until 1 October 2018.

I am also requesting all correspondence held NSW Fair Trading which mentions "rent bidding apps" or any of the following names: RentBerry, RentWolf, Property Connect or Property Connect LiveOffer from 1 January 2017 until 1 October 2018.

I am further requesting any other documents held by NSW Fair Trading including reports, briefs, memorandum, notes for file which mention "rent bidding apps" or any of the follow names RentBerry, RentWolf, Property Connect or Property Connect LiveOffer between the dates 1 January 2017 until 1 October 2018..

Yours faithfully,
Nick Haines

GIPA-DFSI, NSW Fair Trading

Dear Mr Haines

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Wendy Laing
Advisor, Service Delivery (Innovation and Better Regulation)

Office of the Secretary  |  Department of Finance, Services and Innovation
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-----Original Message-----
From: Nick Haines <[FOI #4854 email]>
Sent: Monday, 1 October 2018 4:27 PM
To: GIPA-DFSI <[email address]>
Subject: Government Information (Public Access) request - Complaints made to fair trading in relation to rent bidding in NSW 2017-2018

Dear NSW Fair Trading,

I would like to request documents which detail complaints received by NSW Fair Trading in relation to the practice of 'rent bidding'.

By rent bidding mean I mean: the practice whereby landlords, their agents, or third party services encourage or force prospective tenants to bid over the value of a residential lease.

I am requesting:

- how many complaints NSW Fair Trading has received about rent bidding
- how many complaints NSW Fair Trading received about online rent bidding applications such as RentBerry, RentWolf, Property Connect
- any documents, for example email correspondence, reports, briefs, memorandum, notes for file which detail complaints NSW Fair Trading has received about rent bidding from 1 January 2017 until 1 October 2018.

I am also requesting all correspondence held NSW Fair Trading which mentions "rent bidding apps" or any of the following names: RentBerry, RentWolf, Property Connect or Property Connect LiveOffer from 1 January 2017 until 1 October 2018.

I am further requesting any other documents held by NSW Fair Trading including reports, briefs, memorandum, notes for file which mention "rent bidding apps" or any of the follow names RentBerry, RentWolf, Property Connect or Property Connect LiveOffer between the dates 1 January 2017 until 1 October 2018..

Yours faithfully,
Nick Haines

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