Renters sweltered this summer in ‘barely habitable’ homes: report
Rental properties across Australia were rendered “barely habitable” over the summer, according to new data.   :( 


News.com.au
March 19, 2024

A scathing new report into the rental market has found tenants sweltered through peak temperatures of more than 30C for hours a day, leaving homes “barely habitable”.   :(

The report by tenant advocacy group Better Renting tracked the temperature and humidity in 109 rental homes over the summer, including in NSW and Queensland.

Dubbed “Cruel Summer”, the report found the average median indoor temperature exceeded 25C.

Worse still, researchers found temperatures peaked at more than 30C for two hours a day, with indoor temperatures exceeding those outdoors almost half the time in NSW.

A new report claims rentals were ‘barely habitable’ over the summer.

Better Renting deputy director Bernie Barrett said the report, which was published on Tuesday, pointed to the need for action to lift the standard of rental homes.

“Everyone needs a healthy home. Governments should require landlords to make changes so that rental homes are fit and healthy to live in,” she said.

“Simple changes like ceiling insulation, fly screens or cooling appliances can help reduce the danger from extreme indoor heat.

“But we also see this common fear of retaliation, which is no surprise: in many jurisdictions, a renter can be kicked out without the landlord needing to provide justification.”   :(

Better Renting deputy director Bernie Barrett said rental homes should be fit and healthy to live in.

Ms Barrett said only the ACT and Victoria had minimum rental standards related to energy performance, with Victoria planning to expand existing standards this year.


ACT renter Jessica Buckland was one renter who took part in the project. She said her home was poorly built and she avoided using the airconditioning due to costs.

“The house is unbearable without AC or fans in the peak of summer; it will be hotter inside than out,” she said.

“I often push my comfort a lot further when I’m home alone than I would if my son was home.

“I don’t think twice about turning the AC on when he’s home, but I’ll go without when it’s just me. I’m nervous about the power bill.”

The median household temperature among Australian rentals exceeded 25C.

NSW renters were some of the worst affected according to the report, with tenants reporting temperatures exceeding 25C for more than 12 hours a day on average.

Living in the hottest state in the report, Queenslanders reported temperatures above 28C about 50 per cent of the time, with indoor temperatures regularly about 4C hotter.

Western Australia was also hit hard, with homes sitting above 25C for 16 hours of a day, while South Australia recorded the single highest maximum temperature of 45.3C.

The Northern Territory, Victoria, Tasmania, and the ACT all reported relatively mild summers and accordingly homes cracked 25C for only for a few hours of the day.

“Everyone needs a healthy home. Governments should require landlords to make changes so that rental homes are fit and healthy to live in,” she said.  How about an air conditioner.  ITS TOO Hot.   :(   

whiteknight wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 5:30am:

“Everyone needs a healthy home. Governments should require landlords to make changes so that rental homes are fit and healthy to live in,” she said.  How about an air conditioner.  ITS TOO Hot.   :(

Yes and a small window aircon is cheap these days - well under $1,000.
Landlords really are tight arses.
They want the rent on time but won't do anything regarding maintenance -
I've never met a good landlord in my whole life.

Most tenants fix problems themselves or they risk the rent going up.
I know one renter who paid nearly $2,000 for a new
gas hot water cylinder rather than risk the landlord putting the rent up
because they always did after replacing anything
or doing even the most minor maintenance.

You know they aren't going to get these things for free, don't you WK? Either way, the tenants will end up paying for it. In one breath you complain about housing affordability, in the next you demand more red tape and onerous demands on the rental market.

Don't you think tenants should have a choice whether to pay that much?

Well the Australian greens say rents should be frozen for two years.  Also they say  the rent should be capped at a certain amount.  Good on the Australian greens.  Rents are far too much.   :(        

whiteknight wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 7:16am:

Well the Australian greens say rents should be frozen for two years.  Also they say  the rent should be capped at a certain amount.  Good on the Australian greens.  Rents are far too much.   :(

To the extent the Greens might have a real effect on rents, the cost will be an increase in homelessness and/or a decrease in standards. We will have a long line of builders out of work and who cannot find rental accommodation, because no-one is willing to pay them to build new houses to solve the rental shortage. The Greens will finally get their revenge on all those greedy developers, who will have to go without a new yacht, while others go without a job or a place to live.

All these policies are great examples of ignorant economics resulting in policies that have the opposite effect to that intended. You just cannot get something for nothing.

There's a drastic shortage of rental homes available at any sort
of reasonable rent at the moment in all states.

So... a "smart" solution?  Force landlords to install reverse cycle
a/c and?  Well, raise their rents to get a return on the average
unit cost and installation charge of course.

—EG: A 7.8kW split a/c from Harvey Norman:  $2,800 for the unit and       
    around $1,400 for the installation.  (2023 pricing)

This is another group of whinging snowflakes.  I grew up in Melbourne
and lived in a weatherboard house with no air-conditioning for 20 years.
At school, on a hot summer's day we simply opened the windows to
catch any breeze—air-conditioning wasn't even a dream then.  Did we
survive?  Of course we did.

AusGeoff wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 7:51am:

There's a drastic shortage of rental homes available at any sort of reasonable rent at the moment in all states. So... a "smart" solution?  Force landlords to install reverse cycle a/c and?  Well, raise their rents to get a return on the average unit cost and installation charge of course. —EG: A 7.8kW split a/c from Harvey Norman:  $2,800 for the unit and            around $1,400 for the installation.  (2023 pricing) This is another group of whinging snowflakes.  I grew up in Melbourne and lived in a weatherboard house with no air-conditioning for 20 years. At school, on a hot summer's day we simply opened the windows to catch any breeze—air-conditioning wasn't even a dream then.  Did we survive?  Of course we did.

This. As a landlord until a couple of months ago and as a renter in my younger days I have seen both sides of the coin.

Belgarion wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 7:57am:

AusGeoff wrote on Mar 21st, 2024 at 7:51am: There's a drastic shortage of rental homes available at any sort of reasonable rent at the moment in all states. So... a "smart" solution?  Force landlords to install reverse cycle a/c and?  Well, raise their rents to get a return on the average unit cost and installation charge of course. —EG: A 7.8kW split a/c from Harvey Norman:  $2,800 for the unit and            around $1,400 for the installation.  (2023 pricing) This is another group of whinging snowflakes.  I grew up in Melbourne and lived in a weatherboard house with no air-conditioning for 20 years. At school, on a hot summer's day we simply opened the windows to catch any breeze—air-conditioning wasn't even a dream then.  Did we survive?  Of course we did. This. As a landlord until a couple of months ago and as a renter in my younger days I have seen both sides of the coin.

Harvey Norman have the highest prices.

From this mob:
A small box aircon which is easy to install in a window cost under $1,000.

https://www.airwaresales.com.au/product-category/air-conditioners/room-airconditioners-box-type/


This one is $479.00

https://www.airwaresales.com.au/product/kelvinator-kwh16cmf-1-6kw-cool-only/

I would suggest that there are a lot of owner occupied homes and homes in the process of being purchased by way of mortgage that don't have air conditioners either.  How much higher is the percentage of rental properties without airconditioner compared to the percentage of owned/being paid off properties without air conditioners?

Frances wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 5:39pm:

I would suggest that there are a lot of owner occupied homes and homes in the process of being purchased by way of mortgage that don't have air conditioners either.  How much higher is the percentage of rental properties without airconditioner compared to the percentage of owned/being paid off properties without air conditioners?

Of course - an aircon turns a house into a home.
It's unbearable when we get heatwaves in Melbourne.

So which cities sweltered more this year than any year in the past?

whiteknight wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 5:30am:

“Everyone needs a healthy home. Governments should require landlords to make changes so that rental homes are fit and healthy to live in,” she said.  How about an air conditioner.  ITS TOO Hot.   :(

Unreal...... first you're whinging about the housing crisis & the unavailability of rental accommodation ....

now you're whinging about what is available not being good enough because the tenants are too hot ....

buy their own phukkin AC like everyone else has to ....

are all tenants destitute & have no jobs?

edit - btw ... no sane person gives a fat rats clacker what the idiot/lunatic Greens say.

Gnads wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 6:54pm:

whiteknight wrote on Mar 21st, 2024 at 5:30am: “Everyone needs a healthy home. Governments should require landlords to make changes so that rental homes are fit and healthy to live in,” she said.  How about an air conditioner.  ITS TOO Hot.   :(    Unreal...... first you're whinging about the housing crisis & the unavailability of rental accommodation .... now you're whinging about what is available not being good enough because the tenants are too hot .... buy their own phukkin AC like everyone else has to .... are all tenants destitute & have no jobs? edit - btw ... no sane person gives a fat rats clacker what the idiot/lunatic Greens say.

First you give them AC then they complain they can't pay power bills. Catch 22.

Only a FP experience, I've never had AC and school was hotter than that. We got let off lessons sometimes at 39 degrees. We were in school all day.

My sons and I bought the wife an RC/AC for her bedroom for her 56 birthday, it was used twice before the Lismore floods, it's been inactive since. She spent 56 years without an AC and now she is again. Perhaps we should tax you to buy her a new one. It's been a really hot summer here with humidity so high the dew point has been less than 1/2 degree lower than the actual temp.

Bobby. wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 5:37am:

Yes and a small window aircon is cheap these days - well under $1,000. Landlords really are tight arses. .

So buy your own if $1000 is nothing ya tightarse.  ::)

Setanta wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 7:05pm:

First you give them AC then they complain they can't pay power bills. Catch 22.

Are we a 3rd world country where people swelter in heat waves and
can't afford aircons and the electricity to run them?

Bobby. wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 7:13pm:

Setanta wrote on Mar 21st, 2024 at 7:05pm: First you give them AC then they complain they can't pay power bills. Catch 22. Are we a 3rd world country where people swelter in heat waves and can't afford aircons and the electricity to run them?

Were we a third world country when I grew up here?
I didn't know AC was a human right, I've never had it.

Setanta wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 7:18pm:

Bobby. wrote on Mar 21st, 2024 at 7:13pm: Setanta wrote on Mar 21st, 2024 at 7:05pm: First you give them AC then they complain they can't pay power bills. Catch 22. Are we a 3rd world country where people swelter in heat waves and can't afford aircons and the electricity to run them? Were we a third world country when I grew up here? I didn't know AC was a human right, I've never had it.

Really? - on Black Saturday it reached 46 degrees in Melbourne.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Saturday_bushfires

As the day progressed, the highest-ever temperatures recorded to date were reached.
Melbourne hit 46.4 °C (115.5 °F), the hottest temperature ever recorded for the city[17]
and humidity levels dropped to as low as two percent.
The McArthur Forest Fire Danger Index reached unprecedented levels, ranging from 160 to over 200.
This was higher than the fire weather conditions experienced on Black Friday in 1939 and Ash Wednesday in 1983.[18]

Bobby. wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 7:23pm:

Setanta wrote on Mar 21st, 2024 at 7:18pm: Bobby. wrote on Mar 21st, 2024 at 7:13pm: Setanta wrote on Mar 21st, 2024 at 7:05pm: First you give them AC then they complain they can't pay power bills. Catch 22. Are we a 3rd world country where people swelter in heat waves and can't afford aircons and the electricity to run them? Were we a third world country when I grew up here? I didn't know AC was a human right, I've never had it. Really? - on Black Saturday it reached 46 degrees in Melbourne. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Saturday_bushfires As the day progressed, the highest-ever temperatures recorded to date were reached. Melbourne hit 46.4 °C (115.5 °F), the hottest temperature ever recorded for the city[17] and humidity levels dropped to as low as two percent. The McArthur Forest Fire Danger Index reached unprecedented levels, ranging from 160 to over 200. This was higher than the fire weather conditions experienced on Black Friday in 1939 and Ash Wednesday in 1983.[18]

That obviously means every home in AU should be ACed. :-/

Setanta wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 7:43pm:

That obviously means every home in AU should be ACed. :-/

Australia is a harsh country.
How many people die from heat waves?

Bobby. wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 7:48pm:

How many people die from heat waves?

Less than die from cold. People should know to keep hydrated. I am on my second. ;)

lee wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 7:52pm:

Bobby. wrote on Mar 21st, 2024 at 7:48pm: How many people die from heat waves? Less than die from cold. People should know to keep hydrated. I am on my second. ;)

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-67633892

But an Australian National University study argues the true numbers
are vastly under-reported because death certificates only record certain information.
It found heat had contributed to 36,000 Australian deaths between 2006 and 2017.

Do you really think that landlords should provide airconditioning for tenants when the tenants inspected the property and agreed to the rental fees in the full knowledge that the premises did not have air conditioning?

The rental fees they would have signed up to surely would have been less that for an otherwise comparable property that did have properly installed air conditioning.

You can't demand anything other than repairs to existing appliances and fittings after you inspect the place, sign a contract and move in.

If someone rents a property with airconditioning and the airconditioner breaks down, the landlord should arrange for it to be repaired.  If someone rents a property that isn't air conditioned and decides they need an airconditioner, then they should either get one themselves with their own money, or terminate the contract and move somewhere else.

Bobby. wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 7:56pm:

But an Australian National University study argues the true numbers are vastly under-reported because death certificates only record certain information. It found heat had contributed to [b]36,000 Australian deaths between 2006 and 2017.

And how many of those people died indoors while in rented accommodation?

(double post)

Frances wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 7:57pm:

Do you really think that landlords should provide airconditioning for tenants when the tenants inspected the property and agreed to the rental fees in the full knowledge that the premises did not have air conditioning? The rental fees they would have signed up to surely would have been less that for an otherwise comparable property that did have properly installed air conditioning. You can't demand anything other than repairs to existing appliances and fittings after you inspect the place, sign a contract and move in. If someone rents a property with airconditioning and the airconditioner breaks down, the landlord should arrange for it to be repaired.  If someone rents a property that isn't air conditioned and decides they need an airconditioner, then they should either get one themselves with their own money, or terminate the contract and move somewhere else.

With 50 people standing in line to rent even 1 bedroom flats?  tsk tsk tsk   ... ::)   ::)   ::)

That's hardly an answer to my question.

Frances wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 8:06pm:

That's hardly an answer to my question.

I think that landlords should provide air conditioning for tenants.

A box aircon only costs $500  -
that's chicken feed for a greedy landlord.

Bobby. wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 7:56pm:

It found heat had contributed to 36,000 Australian deaths between 2006 and 2017.

Longden used his own special sauce statistical technique.

"By contrast, in my article 4 I used endogenous threshold regressions and a temperature measure that accounts for acclimatisation to distinguish between heat-related and cold-related mortality. "


More
"For example, the minimum mortality temperature for Melbourne was very high and equal to the 90th percentile (ie, an average daily temperature of 22·4°C compared with the mean average daily temperature of 18·1°C reported for Australia).1 "

https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lanplh/PIIS2542-5196(19)30016-6.pdf

Mean avearge temperatures? ::)

Bobby. wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 8:10pm:

I think that landlords should provide air conditioning for tenants. A box aircon only costs $500  - that's chicken feed for a greedy landlord.

If you consider that a box aircon is "chicken feed" then the tenants can surely buy it themselves.

And do you have statistical information on how greedy landlords are?

Being a landlord won't make you wealthy unless you have multiple rental properties, and a large proportion of rental properties are owned by couples, more often than not retired, who have one or maybe two properties only.  Also, it's not just a matter of raking in the money.  there are expenses: agent's commissions, strata levies and, if you're unlucky, special levies, water bills insurance and general maintenance (say when anything goes wrong with the wiring, plumbing, water sealing in the shower and so on).

Owning a rental property is a good way of investing your cash in something that will retain its value and hopefully increase a bit as well.  It is not a way to become wealthy, so stop speaking uninformed crap about landlords being greedy.

Frances wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 8:37pm:

Bobby. wrote on Mar 21st, 2024 at 8:10pm: I think that landlords should provide air conditioning for tenants. A box aircon only costs $500  - that's chicken feed for a greedy landlord. If you consider that a box aircon is "chicken feed" then the tenants can surely buy it themselves. And do you have statistical information on how greedy landlords are? Being a landlord won't make you wealthy unless you have multiple rental properties, and a large proportion of rental properties are owned by couples, more often than not retired, who have one or maybe two properties only.  Also, it's not just a matter of raking in the money.  there are expenses: agent's commissions, strata levies and, if you're unlucky, special levies, water bills insurance and general maintenance (say when anything goes wrong with the wiring, plumbing, water sealing in the shower and so on). Owning a rental property is a good way of investing your cash in something that will retain its value and hopefully increase a bit as well.  It is not a way to become wealthy, so stop speaking uninformed crap about landlords being greedy.

If I was a landlord I'd want my tenants to be comfortable.
I'd make sure they had an aircon.
I'm not a greedy bastard and I hope to go to heaven for being a kind person.

Bobby. wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 8:41pm:

If I was a landlord I'd want my tenants to be comfortable. I'd make sure they had an aircon. I'm not a greedy bastard and I hope to go to heaven for being a kind person.

Maybe you might want to buy them a new car too, so they don't have to use public transport.

Frances wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 8:43pm:

Bobby. wrote on Mar 21st, 2024 at 8:41pm: If I was a landlord I'd want my tenants to be comfortable. I'd make sure they had an aircon. I'm not a greedy bastard and I hope to go to heaven for being a kind person. Maybe you might want to buy them a new car too, so they don't have to use public transport.

Come on - a  box air con costs only $500.     ::)


https://www.airwaresales.com.au/product/kelvinator-kwh16cmf-1-6kw-cool-only/

I would willingly arrange repairs or replacements for anything connected with a property for tenants when they became necessary.  I would not agree to buying them something that wasn't there when they inspected the property and signed the contract.

Landlords need to respect their tenants, but it goes both ways.  Tenants should respect their landlord and not leech off them like parasites.

Well said.

Bobby. wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 8:02pm:

Frances wrote on Mar 21st, 2024 at 7:57pm: Do you really think that landlords should provide airconditioning for tenants when the tenants inspected the property and agreed to the rental fees in the full knowledge that the premises did not have air conditioning? The rental fees they would have signed up to surely would have been less that for an otherwise comparable property that did have properly installed air conditioning. You can't demand anything other than repairs to existing appliances and fittings after you inspect the place, sign a contract and move in. If someone rents a property with airconditioning and the airconditioner breaks down, the landlord should arrange for it to be repaired.  If someone rents a property that isn't air conditioned and decides they need an airconditioner, then they should either get one themselves with their own money, or terminate the contract and move somewhere else. With 50 people standing in line to rent even 1 bedroom flats?  tsk tsk tsk   ... ::)   ::)   ::)

Totally irrelevant to the questions asked of you Blooby.

If you're the one in that line up of 50 that is successful & becomes the tenant... then you are responsible for signing the contract/lease agreement if the 1 bedroom flat is not AC.

Good grief rented houses at one stage didn't even have ceiling fans either.

These clowns either want a roof over their heads or they don't? 

Bobby. wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 8:41pm:

Frances wrote on Mar 21st, 2024 at 8:37pm: Bobby. wrote on Mar 21st, 2024 at 8:10pm: I think that landlords should provide air conditioning for tenants. A box aircon only costs $500  - that's chicken feed for a greedy landlord. If you consider that a box aircon is "chicken feed" then the tenants can surely buy it themselves. And do you have statistical information on how greedy landlords are? Being a landlord won't make you wealthy unless you have multiple rental properties, and a large proportion of rental properties are owned by couples, more often than not retired, who have one or maybe two properties only.  Also, it's not just a matter of raking in the money.  there are expenses: agent's commissions, strata levies and, if you're unlucky, special levies, water bills insurance and general maintenance (say when anything goes wrong with the wiring, plumbing, water sealing in the shower and so on). Owning a rental property is a good way of investing your cash in something that will retain its value and hopefully increase a bit as well.  It is not a way to become wealthy, so stop speaking uninformed crap about landlords being greedy. If I was a landlord I'd want my tenants to be comfortable. I'd make sure they had an aircon. I'm not a greedy bastard and I hope to go to heaven for being a kind person.

Actually you may not be a greedy bastard but you surely are a dopey bastard.....

I suppose that won't be an impediment for you going to heaven.

It certainly would be an impediment for you being a Landlord.

Frances wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 9:01pm:

I would willingly arrange repairs or replacements for anything connected with a property for tenants when they became necessary.  I would not agree to buying them something that wasn't there when they inspected the property and signed the contract. Landlords need to respect their tenants, but it goes both ways.  Tenants should respect their landlord and not leech off them like parasites.

Blooby has tunnel vision - once he gets a mindset no amount of common sense explanations will get through.

Bobby. wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 8:10pm:

Frances wrote on Mar 21st, 2024 at 8:06pm: That's hardly an answer to my question. I think that landlords should provide air conditioning for tenants. A box aircon only costs $500  - that's chicken feed for a greedy landlord.

You go borrow half a million dollars, rent it to someone then buy your tenants air con.

Or better yet,  if $500  is nothing,  you should provide some box air conditioning units for tenants near where you live. That way the landlord can concentrate on paying the mortgage.

Bobby. wrote on Mar 21^st, 2024 at 8:10pm:

Frances wrote on Mar 21st, 2024 at 8:06pm: That's hardly an answer to my question. I think that landlords should provide air conditioning for tenants. A box aircon only costs $500  - that's chicken feed for a greedy landlord.

Do you think tenants should have the right to rent a place without air conditioning?