A credit reporting body is only allowed to give a copy of your consumer credit report to the following for certain purposes:
- another Australian credit reporting body
- a credit provider
- a mortgage insurer
- a trade insurer
- a debt collector acting as an agent for a credit provider
Why a credit provider may need access
A credit provider may access your consumer credit report for a number of reasons, including:
- to assess your application to them for consumer credit
- to enable them to collect any overdue payments for consumer credit they have given you
- to assess your application to them for commercial credit, or to enable them to collect any overdue payments for commercial credit, but only where you have consented to the disclosure of your consumer credit report for that purpose
- to assess whether to accept you as a guarantor for an application for credit where you have consented to the disclosure of your consumer credit report for that purpose
- where they have received from a credit reporting body information that suggests you have committed a serious credit infringement
Who isn’t allowed access
The following are not permitted to access your consumer credit report:
- real estate agent
- landlord
- employer
- an insurance company (other than mortgage insurer and trade insurer).
Real estate agents and landlords sometimes request a copy of your consumer credit report as part of a lease application process. Employers and recruitment consultants might also request a copy of your credit report in connection with an offer of employment. The Privacy Act specifically excludes real estate agents and employers from the definition of credit provider and these entities are not permitted to obtain credit reports.
If you move overseas, foreign credit providers and credit reporting bodies are not permitted to access your Australian consumer credit report.
Your consumer credit report also includes a log of who has accessed it. A credit provider or other third party isn’t generally able to view this information.
To find out who’s accessed your credit report, ask for a copy of it
