Canberra Renters Say Duplicate Listing Images Are Costing Them Inspections and Peace of Mind

A growing number of Canberra renters say they are turning up to property inspections only to find that the images advertised on major listing platforms bear little resemblance to the actual unit — because the photos belong to a different property entirely. The problem, known broadly as duplicate image replacement, involves landlords or agents lifting photos from older or adjacent listings and using them in new advertisements, sometimes without disclosure.

The issue has sharpened in 2026 as the ACT rental vacancy rate remains historically tight. With fewer available properties, renters say they feel pressure to submit applications based on listing photos alone, before they can physically inspect. That dynamic makes misleading images far more consequential than in a softer market.

Residents in Gungahlin's Amaroo and Belconnen's Macquarie have described nearly identical experiences. One woman renting in Macquarie said she applied for a two-bedroom unit on Northbourne Avenue's northern corridor after seeing photos of a renovated kitchen with stone benchtops, only to arrive at the inspection and find laminate surfaces and a layout that did not match the floor plan attached to the listing. She withdrew her application but lost the $50 holding deposit she had transferred in advance — a practice that ACT tenancy law does technically restrict but which advocates say remains difficult to enforce in practice.

What Residents Are Experiencing on the Ground

The complaints cluster around newer, high-density developments in the Gungahlin town centre and along the light rail corridor running through Mitchell and Dickson. Tenants say agents managing multiple units in the same block will rotate a single set of professional photos across several different listings, even when the internal finishes, aspect, or floor level differ substantially. A listing for a third-floor south-facing unit may carry images shot in a top-floor north-facing apartment in the same building.

The ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal, known as ACAT, received an increased volume of tenancy-related applications in the 2024–25 financial year, according to its published annual report. The ACT Tenants' Union, based in the city centre on Girrahween Street, has flagged misleading advertising as an area warranting clearer regulatory guidance, particularly as digital listing platforms operate primarily under federal consumer law frameworks rather than territory-specific tenancy codes.

Under the ACT's Residential Tenancies Act 1997, landlords are required to provide accurate information about a property, but the threshold for what constitutes a material misrepresentation in a listing image has not been tested extensively before the tribunal. Consumer law under the Australian Consumer Law, which the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission administers nationally, prohibits misleading conduct in trade or commerce — but individual renters rarely have the resources or appetite to pursue a complaint that far.

What Renters Can Do Right Now

The ACT Tenants' Union recommends that prospective tenants conduct a reverse image search on any listing photos before applying, using tools such as Google Images or TinEye. If the same photo appears on a listing from a different suburb or a different year, that is worth raising directly with the agent in writing before any money changes hands.

Requesting the specific unit number and floor level in writing is also advised, since agents in ACT law are obligated to respond accurately to direct questions about the premises. The Tenants' Union can be reached through its Girrahween Street office for free advice on what constitutes a breach and whether a complaint to Access Canberra is warranted.

Access Canberra, the territory government's regulatory arm, handles complaints about agents operating under ACT licensing rules. Agents who repeatedly use false or misleading images risk referral to the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal, where penalties can include fines and licence conditions.

The practical advice from advocates boils down to this: never transfer money before physically inspecting, screenshot the listing in full on the day you first view it, and keep a timestamped record of every image associated with the advertisement. In a market this tight, that paper trail may be the only protection a renter has.