Safety

When meeting an employer, accommodation provider, job seeker or potential flatmate for the first time, choose a public or attended location where practical.

• Tell someone you trust where you are going.
• Keep your phone with you and charged.
• Arrange your own transport where possible.
• Leave if a situation makes you uncomfortable.

Before accepting a job or attending an interview, check the employer, workplace, role and employment details where possible.

Be cautious if someone offers unusually high pay, provides very little information about the work, asks for money to secure a job, or pressures you to provide unnecessary personal or financial information.

Where practical, inspect accommodation before making a commitment or transferring money.

Confirm the address, rent, bond, bills, move-in date and who you are dealing with. Ask questions if the information in a listing does not match what you are told.

Be particularly cautious if you are pressured to make an immediate payment before you have been able to verify the property and the person offering it.

Do not send money simply because someone says a job, room or opportunity will be lost unless you pay immediately.

Before making a payment, confirm who you are dealing with, what the payment is for and that the listing or arrangement is genuine.

Keep records of important communications, agreements and payments.

Only share personal information that is reasonably necessary for the job, accommodation or other interaction.

Be careful when sharing identification documents, banking information or other sensitive information, particularly with someone you have not independently verified.

Never share passwords, verification codes or account login details with another member.

Stop and check the situation carefully if something does not seem right.

• Information changes or does not match the listing.
• You are pressured to act or pay immediately.
• An offer appears unrealistically good.
• Someone refuses reasonable verification.
• You are asked for unnecessary financial information.
• Messages become threatening, abusive or inappropriate.

If a listing or member appears misleading, suspicious, abusive or unsafe, stop communicating with them if necessary and use the available report or block controls.

Reports can help JobFlatmate review potentially inappropriate activity and take action where appropriate.

JobFlatmate is not an emergency service. If you believe you or another person is in immediate danger, contact the appropriate emergency service or local authority.

Platform reports should be used to alert JobFlatmate to issues involving accounts or listings, but they are not a substitute for emergency assistance.