Over 100 national organisations are calling on Australia’s governments to implement minimum energy efficiency standards for rental properties, saying the health of renters is currently at risk. 

The call comes in the wake of tenant advice organisation Better Renting’s latest ‘Hot in Homes’ report, which stated rental homes routinely exceed safe temperature limits.

ACT renter and report case study, Felicity Wilkins, is currently renting a home in Watson with her son. She says they both struggle to sleep at times because of the heat, but she’s worried about retaliation if she were to request an air conditioner be installed.

“Both my son and I have slept on the couch or on the floor of the lounge room in front of our big floor fan to try and cool down. We’ve also used ice packs in our pillowcases and cold towels to try and cool down during sleep,” Ms Wilkins says.

“I’ve been too scared of rent increases to ask for the owner to consider putting in air-conditioning or a reverse cycle.”

Better Renting executive director, Joel Dignam, says the degree of these indoor temperatures are a threat to renters’ health.

“Research shows that risk from heat begins to increase above 25 degrees, and standards for healthy buildings recommend keeping below this temperature. A temperature like 30 degrees should only be exceeded about one per cent of the time,” Mr Dignam says.

The data from Better Renting shows rental properties in the study were above 25 degrees for hours every day, and 30 degrees for around an hour each day on average.

“Almost eight million people rent across Australia. That’s a huge number of people who can’t install ceiling insulation, put in a ceiling fan, or set up air-conditioning. No Australian jurisdiction has cooling standards for rental properties, and what we are seeing is the outcome of this neglect,” Mr Dignam says.

Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie, says millions of Australians on low incomes are getting sick or dying because they can’t afford the energy bills to keep their homes cool in summer.

“People who rent should have a right to live in healthy homes that are affordable to cool,” Dr Goldie says.

“With summers expected to be hotter because of climate change, we urgently need all states and territories to commit to legally enforceable energy efficiency standards that require property investors to make rental properties habitable and safe.”

The combined organisations have four major problems for governments to address to effectively improve energy efficiency in Australian rental homes:

• Establish minimum energy efficiency standards for rental properties
• Improve energy efficiency standards for new buildings
• Improve the design of our cities
• Reduce climate emissions to mitigate climate impacts

For more:

• Andrew Braddock sponsors renter’s petition after ‘distressing’ eviction
• ACTCOSS: ACT public housing policy ‘heartless and cruel’
• Single mother evicted from rental after three weeks

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