Renters Out in the Cold

Media release – Better Renting, 16 August 2022

New data: rental homes below minimum healthy temperature 18 hours a day in winter

Renters in Australia are spending winter living in temperatures below the WHO recommended minimum due to substandard rental homes, according to a new report from tenant advocacy organisation Better Renting.

• Better Renting tracked temperatures in 75 rental homes over winter.

• Across Australia, temperatures were below 18°C 75% of the time. According to the WHO, “For countries with temperate or colder climates, 18 °C has been proposed as a safe and well-balanced indoor temperature to protect the health of general populations during cold seasons.”

• For contrast, a sample group of owners in efficient homes in Sydney recorded temperatures below 18°C less than 5% of the time.

The health of renters is being put at risk by substandard homes that fail to achieve healthy temperatures over winter, according to a new report from tenant advocacy organisation Better Renting.

Better Renting worked with 75 ‘Renter Researchers’ across Australia to track temperature and humidity for 7 weeks through June and July. They found that rental homes were routinely below safe temperature levels. Cold temperatures have been linked with higher blood pressure, reduced immunity, and worse asthma symptoms, as well as greater incidence of mental illness.

Key findings from the data include:

• NSW had the highest average humidity of any jurisdiction, with 83% of recordings above 60% relative humidity, and over half of recordings above 70% relative humidity. These high humidity values explain the ongoing mould problems found in many NSW rental homes.

• Victoria offers a comparison of a rental and an owner-occupier home in the same suburb. The owner spends around $2 a day on energy and their home is typically around 17-20°C. The renter has a home that oscillates from 13 to 18°C, rarely exceeding a healthy minimum temperature. They spend $6-10 a day on energy.

• Tasmania had the greatest proportion of time below 18°C, 91.0%. This is over 21 hours per day below the WHO recommended minimum healthy temperature. Tasmania also had the highest rate of entire days below 18°C: 61.5%.

• ACT had the lowest average minimum temperature of any jurisdiction, 7.4°C. Although Tasmania spent more time in cold temperatures, on average ACT got colder indoors than anywhere else. ACT had the second highest amount of time below 18°C, 88.3%, or over 21 hours a day.

• SA had the second-highest rate of relative humidity above 70%: in SA rentals, this occurred 43.3% of the time. This is surprisingly high given SA’s relative warmth.

• NT has striking variety. Darwin has relatively salubrious temperatures and humidity. Alice Springs, on the other hand, had an average minimum temperature of 7.1°C and 89.5% of temperature recordings below 18°C.

Better Renting Executive Director, Joel Dignam, said that it was time to address the health risks from substandard rental properties.

“Everyone in Australia should have a home that is warm and dry in winter, that keeps them and their family safe. But renters are missing out. Draughty, uninsulated rental homes force temperatures down and power bills up. Renters told us about getting sick more often, about a constant state of worry over energy costs, and an unending battle against mould and damp.”

“The good news is we can do better. Governments are currently working on a framework for minimum rental requirements, and this could be a pivotal first step in helping to make these rental homes fit to live in during winter. When we analysed some efficient owner-occupier homes in Sydney, we found that they had higher average temperatures and lower humidity, making them much better to live in. This shows what renters are being locked out of, but also the potential for improvement.”

Better Renting is part of ‘Healthy Homes for Renters’, a national collaboration of over 110 organisations, calling for governments to implement minimum energy efficiency standards for rental homes.

Additional quotes

“Asthma Australia supports calls to improve living conditions because it is clear that these conditions directly impact the health of people with asthma. Cold air and mould are clearly associated with increasing asthma symptoms in both adults and children and may even be associated in reductions in lung function among people with asthma. People with asthma and low socioeconomic status face significantly bigger challenges than affluent populations with asthma. As renters lack the ability to make the changes necessary to ensure a healthy temperature in their home, the reforms recommended in this report are critical to avoid the inequitable impacts experienced by renters in cold homes.” (Anthony Flynn, Senior Manager, Research, Information and Evaluation, Asthma Australia)

“Tasmania is the coldest and poorest state in Australia. Improved energy efficiency standards in rental properties will make homes more habitable and save money with reduced electricity costs.”

(Ben Bartl, Principal Solicitor, Tenants’ Union of Tasmania)

“As the impacts of climate change become more severe, exposure to uncomfortable or extreme temperatures at home is increasing risks to people’s health and mental health. Preparing for the impacts of climate change means making sure our homes are safe and comfortable to live in. Every person deserves a safe and comfortable home, let’s make sure they have one.”

(Luke Skinner, Secretary, Climate Justice Union)