Canberra Renters Say Duplicate Listing Photos Are Hiding Real Conditions — and Costing Them Money

Apartment hunters in Canberra's northern growth corridors are raising alarms about a practice they say has become routine in the city's rental market: property listings published with duplicate or years-old photographs that bear little resemblance to the actual dwelling on offer. For some, the discovery comes only after they have paid a holding deposit.

The issue has sharpened in recent months as vacancy rates in the ACT have stayed historically tight. According to the Real Estate Institute of the ACT, the territory's rental vacancy rate sat at approximately 1.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2026 — well below the roughly 3 per cent economists consider a balanced market. In that environment, prospective tenants frequently submit applications before attending a physical inspection, making accurate photography not merely a convenience but a financial safeguard.

The squeeze is being felt acutely in Gungahlin and Belconnen, where new apartment towers have been absorbed quickly by public servants priced out of inner suburbs like Braddon and Kingston. Several residents who contacted The Daily Canberra described arriving at inspections on Hibberson Street in Gungahlin Town Centre or at complexes near the Belconnen Town Centre bus interchange to find carpets stained, kitchens substantially older, and natural light far dimmer than the listing photographs suggested.

A Pattern Residents Say Keeps Repeating

One Belconnen renter — who did not want to be named for fear of affecting a current application — described paying a $500 holding deposit on a two-bedroom unit in the Jamison area after viewing what appeared to be a recently renovated kitchen online. At inspection, the joinery shown in the listing photographs was not present. The agent, she said, acknowledged the photos were from a previous tenancy but said the listing had not been updated. She did not proceed, and retrieving the deposit took three weeks.

ACT tenancy law under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 does not explicitly require that listing photographs reflect current conditions, a gap that tenant advocates at the Canberra Community Law centre on Alinga Street, in the city, have been pushing the ACT Government to close. The organisation has backed calls for a disclosure obligation that would require agents to date all listing photographs and flag any images older than 12 months.

Community Housing Canberra, which manages affordable rental properties across the territory including stock in Tuggeranong and Woden, updated its own photography policy in March 2026 to require images no older than 18 months and taken after any tenancy change. Advocates say the private sector should be held to at least that standard.

What Authorities Say Can Be Done Now

The ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal — which handles tenancy disputes from its facilities on London Circuit — can hear complaints where a tenant argues misrepresentation caused financial loss. However, tribunal filings are time-consuming and outcomes vary depending on whether a written lease includes descriptive terms that can be tested against the actual property.

The ACT Government's Access Canberra consumer protection unit confirmed it receives complaints about misleading property advertising, though it declined to provide a current figure for 2026 filings. Fair trading obligations under Australian Consumer Law do apply to real estate agents, meaning a listing photograph that is materially misleading could in principle constitute a breach — though enforcement action in this specific context has been rare.

For renters heading into Canberra's winter inspection season, tenant advocates offer practical steps: request in writing that the agent confirm when listing photographs were taken, ask for a video walkthrough recorded within the past 30 days, and note any discrepancies between photographs and inspected conditions in a dated email before handing over any deposit. If an agent refuses to confirm photo dates, that refusal itself is worth documenting. The Canberra Community Law centre offers a free tenancy advice line on Tuesdays and Thursdays for those unsure of their rights before signing.