Clarify the identity check

Document workspace

Can I ask for my rental application ID to be sighted?

Ask whether the recipient needs to view an original, receive a copy or use another stated verification method. Keep the answer tied to this application.

Market: AU
Jurisdiction: Australia
Updated: 2026-10-11

Short answer

Yes, you can ask which identity-check method the recipient requires and whether sighting an original is an available option. Confirm the document type, who will check it and how completion will be recorded. Do not assume sighting must be accepted everywhere or that a copy is always required; the applicable process and jurisdiction matter.

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Working checklist

If a copy is still requested

Ask which particular record and details are needed, why, and where to provide them. Check the destination against the confirmed recipient. If you are considering masking details, ask whether that copy will meet the stated purpose before changing it.

If the request remains unclear or you have a concern, seek clarification or appropriate privacy guidance before sending additional material. This page does not decide which legal requirements apply to your case.

Document type and requested purpose are clear.
Recipient and submission channel have been checked.
Any appointment or alternative method is actually confirmed.
An unanswered question is labelled pending, not completed.

Useful context

Ask what form of identity check is needed

Start with the exact request rather than sending every identity document you hold. “Provide ID” may leave the method, destination and purpose unclear. Contact the recipient through a channel you have checked before supplying sensitive material.

Keep this plan as a record of arrangements. It does not need your document number, a photograph of the document or an access code.

Keep in view

Keep the plan separate from identity numbers

Provide information relevant to the recipient's application process and handle identity or financial material carefully.

OAIC tenancy guidance is the source for this careful-handling boundary. It is not a universal identity list or a rule that every recipient must offer sighting.

After the check, record the confirmation you received and any remaining action. Keep sensitive documents separate from an ordinary scheduling note, and review the recipient’s current instructions before reusing an old arrangement.

Practical example

Copy a sighting request

Replace the brackets and ask before booking an appointment or uploading a copy.

Hello [name], For my application for [property address], could you please confirm which identity document you need and the required verification method? Is sighting the original an available option? If so, who should I see, where and when, and how will completion be recorded? If a copy is required instead, please confirm the purpose and the secure channel to use. Thank you, [name]

Practical example

Filled identity-check plan

Fictional example: Zoe asks about an identity check for 16 Example Court. The appointment below is an invented arrangement, not a national procedure or a guarantee that sighting is available.

Requested: clarify whether Zoe’s selected identity document can be sighted instead of uploaded.
Confirmed in the example: named agency contact offers an office appointment on 13 October at 10:00.
Still to confirm: what acknowledgement will show the check is complete.
Private plan stores: property, contact, appointment and open question. It stores no identity number or document image.

Questions

Common questions

Clear answers for the decisions people usually pause on.

Must every agent accept sighting instead of a copy?

Do not assume a national rule. Ask which method applies to this property and check current jurisdiction-specific guidance if a legal question remains.

What should my identity-check plan contain?

Record the property, confirmed contact, agreed method, appointment if any, and the acknowledgement still needed. The scheduling plan does not need identity numbers or document images.

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