How to Write a Rental Property Review

Why honest reviews matter

Renters face significant information asymmetry. Landlords and agents have access to detailed tenant history through tenancy databases, but renters have almost nothing to go on when choosing a property — beyond what the listing photos show.

RenterSay exists to level that playing field. Every review you submit helps future renters understand what it is really like to live at a property — including things that never appear in a listing.

What makes a review genuinely helpful

The most useful reviews are specific and factual. Rather than saying "bad maintenance," describe the actual experience: "The hot water system failed twice in 18 months. The first time it took 10 days to be repaired."

Helpful things to cover include:

• Property condition when you moved in vs when you left • Maintenance response times and quality • Noise levels (both from neighbours and the street) • Heating and cooling performance • Any mould, damp, or pest issues • Security and lock quality • Value for money relative to the local market • What you wish you had known before signing

What to avoid including

To protect yourself and others, avoid:

• The names of landlords, agents, or any individual • Claims you cannot verify — stick to what you personally experienced • Highly emotional or exaggerated language that could be seen as unfair • Information that could identify you as the reviewer

RenterSay is built around the property address as the sole identifier. This is a deliberate design choice that protects reviewers and keeps the focus on the rental experience, not on individuals.

The difference between opinion and a problematic statement

Honest opinion based on genuine experience is generally protected under Australian law. Stating "In my experience, maintenance requests were consistently ignored for more than two weeks" is a factual account of your experience.

Statements that are more likely to be problematic are those that make serious factual allegations that cannot be verified — particularly about specific individuals. Sticking to your own direct experience — what you saw, what happened, what you were told — keeps your review on solid ground.

How to submit your review

Search for the property address on RenterSay and select the correct listing. If the property has not been reviewed before, you will be invited to create the first listing.

You will be asked to rate the property across several categories and provide a written account. All reviews go through a moderation process before publication to ensure they meet our content guidelines. Your personal identity is never published — reviews are anonymous.