Updated May 22, 2026 — 2:46pm,first published May 22, 2026 — 3:00amA Perth real estate agency has cited the unfolding fuel crisis as a reason for requesting tenants conduct their own property inspections, in what Western Australia’s consumer watchdog has flagged as a potential breach of consumer law.In an email seen by this masthead, Davey Real Estate wrote to tenants last month advising them they would need to conduct their own routine inspections, which involved taking a minimum of 10 photos of each room in a house, and needed to be “recent, clear, well-lit and unedited”.The email sent to tenants.“Due to current fuel supply constraints, routine inspections are being conducted temporarily in a virtual format to reduce travel while continuing to meet inspection requirements and promptly identify any maintenance concerns,” the email read.“This approach allows inspections to proceed with minimal disruption to tenants during this period.”Tenants were provided with a link and a deadline to complete the inspection by, and a warning that a further inspection would be required if the tasks weren’t completed.A Consumer Protection spokesperson told this masthead the request may breach Australian Consumer Law.The rental sector in Western Australia adopted virtual inspections during COVID. Lauren Pilat“It may be a breach ... [for] a person to claim not to be able to deliver a service they are obliged to provide because of fuel supply during a period when fuel was readily available in Western Australia,” they said.“For an agent to charge an inspection fee and not provide the service might be a breach of [Australian Consumer Law].”Davey Real Estate director Andrew Davey said the decision to cease in-person routine inspections and replace them with virtual inspections had been made earlier this year.“The action was taken in anticipation of potential fuel supply restrictions, rising fuel costs, and early government encouragement to conserve fuel,” he said.“Landlords were offered a substantial discount on their routine inspections for this service to recognise the time saving and fuel cost saving.“There was a minimum number of photographs required and our team would ask for additional photographs if they saw areas missed or needed updates on repairs, upgrades or maintenance.”Davey said property condition reports and final bond inspections were carried out as per their normal process, but landlords had ultimately been grateful for the service.“A large majority of our landlords appreciated the discount offered, and the efficiency it created for our team.Andrew Davey.Davey Real Estate“In the rare cases where a landlord did not agree, in-person inspections were conducted. In-person inspections were also conducted on property where there were elderly people, disabled tenants or if we were aware of situations where in-person inspections were imperative.“The majority of tenants found the inconvenience of taking their own photos was more than offset by being able to do their inspection in a timeframe that suited them and they appreciated that they did not have someone intruding into their ‘home’ to take photos.“There has been a question regarding the legality of being paid for conducting virtual inspections and our position is that we have communicated our intention to our landlords, we adjusted the fee to account for any perceived difference in the quality of the service and we were still ‘inspecting’ the property via photos, preparing the report and sending the report to landlords, liaising with the tenants, issuing breaches, acting on maintenance and updating landlords on any issues we found.“We believe that the process of conducting ‘an inspection’ is well and truly been satisfied.”Davey said an email was due to go out to their client base the day this article was published to inform them they would be returning to in-person inspections.“We believe this is another example where we have been proactive in our reaction to a changing real estate environment, and if fuel supplies are constrained significantly in the future, we expect Davey Real Estate and the wider industry will adopt “virtual inspections” on mass through necessity,” he said.Fuel prices have jumped but supply in the Perth metropolitan area has not been interrupted across the duration of the United States’ war on Iran, and at the time the email was sent, the state and federal governments announced a fuel excise that would save motorists 32 cents a litre.At the same time, an extra five million litres of fuel was sent to the Wheatbelt and other regions that were feeling the sting of escalating petrol prices.“The property manager should consider whether conducting property inspection in this way is in the best interest of their client and whether they would still be doing their job with the due care and skill required under the Real Estate and Business Agents Act 1978,” the Consumer Protection spokesperson said.“An inspection fee is likely to be included in the written authority with the agent.“Whether the practice of ‘remote inspections’ done by the tenant entitles the agent to charge their client an inspection fee is determined by the individual contract.“Agents or lessors should consider getting their own legal advice.”From our partners