Renters are baking in dangerously hot homes every summer, and it’s getting worse. Climate change means hotter summers and longer, hotter and more frequent heatwaves. This is bad news for everyone, but especially renters, who are more likely to live in poorly built, low energy efficient homes with no insulation or air con, and no real power to get their landlords to make simple cooling modifications such as installing heat proof curtains or fixing draughty windows that trap heat inside.
The problem:
Too often, extreme heat is talked about as an individual problem for people to manage on their own. As renters, we are told to turn on the air conditioner, go somewhere cool, or put a wet towel around our necks. In reality, rising temperatures are a collective issue and we all need to work together to find solutions to protect our communities.
In Victoria, the rental system does not reflect the serious health risks of living hot homes, and rental rules see cooling as a luxury, and not a necessity. Currently, rental homes must legally have heating for winter, but these same rules don’t apply to cooling. This means that even if renters can provide records of unsafe hot temperatures in their homes, there are no standards that help them advocate for cooling. Compounding the issue is the fact that rents are climbing but the quality of housing isn’t improving. Many rental properties are poorly built, with inadequate insulation and poor ventilation that makes them unsafe during heat waves. Current rules mean that renters don’t have the power to compel landlords to improve energy efficiency or thermal comfort, and the onus is increasingly on the individual to make their homes liveable.
To make things worse, rents are skyrocketing but the quality of housing isn’t improving. Many rental properties are poorly built, with inadequate insulation and poor ventilation that makes them unsafe during heat waves. Many renters do not have the money to invest in air conditioning, which puts them at greater risk of illness during heatwaves.
Heatwave related deaths are projected to increase as our summers become hotter and more severe. Renters are more vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat and Victoria’s current rental laws do not protect people from living in unsafe homes during scorching temperatures.
Heatwaves kill more Australians than all other environmental disasters combined. Extreme heat directly affects many communities across the country, especially our most marginalised community members including older people, people with disabilities, people with chronic illnesses and babies and small children. In Victoria, renters are vulnerable to the health impacts of heat because they are more likely to live in homes with no insulation or air con, so are disproportionately feeling the impact of rising temperatures.
The solution:
The good news is that we have the solutions to ensure that safe homes become a reality for all renters. Now, we need the Victorian government to listen to renters, health and housing experts, when they say that simple changes to our rental rules will save lives and ensure that people’s homes keep them safe, not make them sick.
The Heatwave Safe Homes for Renters campaign is calling on the Victorian Housing Minister to implement simple, practical changes to our current rental rules. The goal is to win safe, cool homes and reduce the incidence of heat-related illnesses and deaths in our communities.
If we mobilise renters and communities across Victoria through MP engagement, impactful storytelling and public outreach, we can compel the Victorian government to commit to changing Victoria’s rental rules. We recognise the strength of communities as powerful messengers, and we believe that grassroots mobilisation is the key to winning the campaign.
The Heatwave Safe Homes campaign is asking for the following actions to be taken:
1. Introduce insulation and standards for rentals
2. Include cooling in the minimum rental standards
3. Landlords have to action heat related complains within 24 hours
4. Funding to clear the backlog of VCAT rental dispute cases
Our fourth ask is a win! Alongside a committed group of rental advocates, we have been pushing for this from the very beginning of the Heatwave Safe Homes campaign. The Victorian Government has committed to creating a new dispute resolution body, and this is a big win for renters who have had to wait for months to get urgent issues sorted and ensure their homes are safe. According to a spokesperson from the Victorian government:
“Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria will provide a one-stop shop for renters, agents and landlords to resolve tenancy disputes. It will be faster, fairer and cheaper, relieving pressure in VCAT.”
While we still have lots of work to do to ensure that this new body genuinely benefits renters, helping to secure this victory has given us a boost of confidence and motivation to win all of our campaign asks.
Get involved in the campaign:
1. Volunteer with Sweltering Cities: We are heading into a hot, El Niño summer, and many of us are worried about how we will keep ourselves safe and cool. Right now, we are growing the movement of people calling for heatwave safe homes, and we need all hands on deck to pressure the Victorian government to act. If you have skills or are passionate about community outreach, networking, research, social media or graphic design we would love to have you onboard to win the campaign for heatwave safe homes for renters. If you have a specific skills outside of these categories and want to get involved, please reach out! Apply to volunteer and make a difference here.
2. Write to your State MP: If we want to win safe homes for everyone, we need to keep the pressure on the Victorian government. If you write a personal letter to your MP, they have to respond to you, and the more of us that send letters, the more likely we are to reach victory. Please get in contact with Sweltering Cities Victorian Community Campaigner, [email protected] and we’ll send you all the information you need to reach out to your MP and connect you with other people in your area.
3. Sign our petition calling for safe, cool homes: In Victoria, renters are living in dangerously hot homes because cooling is not a requirement in our rental rules (even though heating is!). This has to change. Sign the petition to call for cooling to be included in our minimum rental standards. This will save lives and protect our communities from the health impacts of extreme heat.
Campaign resources
Notes from previous campaign meetings:
* Campaign for Heatwave Safe Rental Homes kicks off
* Second renters meeting sets campaign priorities for heatwave safe homes:
* Building momentum: Third Heatwave Safe Rentals campaign meeting plans summer event
Heatwave Safe Homes for Renters event:
* In October 2023, we co-hosted an event with RAHU to hear from renters, doctors and housing experts about the risks of living in hot homes and what the urgently needed solutions are
* Read about the event here
* Watch the event recording below