Most rental properties are pretty inefficient, which means renters are missing out on the benefits of lower bills and healthier living conditions. That’s unfair – and it’s adding to climate pollution. The solution is minimum standards for rental houses. The energy efficiency of Victorian houses is bad enough, but rental properties are even worse. Hundreds of thousands of renters are living in homes which are dangerously hot in summer and freezing in winter or cost a fortune to keep comfortable. Many renters also face other problems – from a lack of security, to persistent mould or broken windows – and often struggle to get even basic repairs done. And if rental homes which make up around a quarter of our housing stock are missing out on efficiency upgrades, then Victoria is missing out on a big opportunity to cut greenhouse emissions.
Why we need minimum standards
Right now, the only standard Victorian rental homes need to meet is to have a smoke alarm. That’s it. There doesn’t need to be a heater, the windows don’t need to open, and you can forget about insulation or draught-sealing. At Environment Victoria, we think renters deserve better. At the very least, a rental home should be a liveable home. While many landlords do the right thing by their tenants, we know from experience that voluntary efficiency programs are not reaching the worst-performing homes. For these landlords, investing in efficiency improvements like insulation or draught-sealing is just not a priority while it’s the tenants who reap the benefits of lower bills and better living conditions. The only way to fix this problem is to set minimum standards for efficiency, health and security that all rental properties need to meet before they can be leased.
A once-in-a-decade opportunity
Right now the Victorian government is reviewing the legislation covering the rental sector. This is a golden opportunity to make sure minimum standards are included and to fix this problem which has been in the ‘too hard’ basket for too long. Minimum standards are not much to ask. Responsible landlords who already recognise the benefits of keeping their properties in good condition would easily meet basic standards. The rest would have plenty of notice to get their properties up to scratch. And they’d be prevented from passing on unreasonable costs through rent increases. A small but loud group of vested interests are opposed to minimum standards for rental properties. They’re counting on renters and responsible landlords remaining silent. But there are more than 500,000 households that rent in Victoria. With a powerful and united voice, renters and responsible landlords can seize this once-in-a-decade opportunity to win better quality housing, starting with minimum standards. The government has just released an options paper and is calling on Victorians to voice their opinion by 10 February. Tell the Victorian Minister for Consumer Affairs why we need minimum standards for rental properties.