About Rent Runner
Built by renters, for renters.
Two mates, one favour, and the realisation that you shouldn't have to burn flights and annual leave just to be eligible to apply for a rental.
Why we exist
Getting to a rental inspection isn't always easy.
If you're interstate, it can mean flights, accommodation and a day off work just to look through one property. If you're local, it can mean an agent scheduling a 10-minute slot on a Tuesday afternoon when you're stuck at your desk.
Either way, missing it usually means missing the chance to apply at all. Most agents won't consider an application unless someone attended and got checked off their list.
We started Rent Runner because we don't think you should have to burn hundreds of dollars, or a day of annual leave, just to be eligible.
How it actually started
Matt did a favour for his mate Marc. He went to the inspection, video-called him through it, and answered every question on the spot. Marc got the apartment.
Around the same time, Matt and Jake were talking about a problem Jake kept running into. He'd spent thousands on Airbnbs, short stays and public transport just to attend inspections in person across cities. Putting the two things together, they realised what Matt had done for Marc, almost as a one-off favour, was the actual fix to the problem.
That conversation is where Rent Runner started.
Who we are
Flew to 21 inspections trying to find a place. Spent thousands. There had to be a better way.
Canberra based, real estate background. Did a favour for a mate. Proved the idea worked.
Jake and Matt met through a flatmates site when Jake moved to Canberra. They lived together for three years and have been close mates for almost a decade now. Rent Runner grew out of years of shared rental headaches across different cities.
Both reachable. No ticketing system, no chatbot.
What we believe
- You should see a property clearly before you apply for it.
- Most agents require someone to attend and be recorded as having attended.
That's a real eligibility gate, not a courtesy, and we exist to clear it on your behalf.
- Attending gets you eligible to be considered.
It's never a guarantee of approval and that decision always sits with the property manager.
- Honest, straightforward reporting beats polished marketing photos.
- Renters deserve the same access to inspections whether they're interstate, overseas, or just stuck at work.
- We don't fill out applications, negotiate rent, or guarantee approval.
That's always the property manager's call.
- What we do is make sure someone's there, on the record, and that you've actually seen the place before you decide to apply.