Hi Friends

This a fantastic opportunity to influence Queensland’s rental laws to allow renters to live in more affordable, sustainable, healthy and comfortable homes. The Queensland government is currently reforming its rental laws, but just needs a little help to get them over the line. We’re sure it’s accidental, but with all their talk of affordability, sustainability, climate resilience, healthy homes and equity, they forgot the one thing that delivers all five to renters: mandatory minimum energy efficiency rental standards. These minimum standards could be features-based (e.g. insulation or draught sealing), or performance-based (e.g 5 star homes).

Tell the government to take action today! Scroll down to draft your own letter.

Some other points you may like to personalise your submission:

·     Energy efficiency means less energy and less waste, and renters currently miss out.

·     Simple features like window shading can provide energy efficiency and thermal comfort and reduce air conditioner use, as well as window shading providing privacy.

·     Given that 31.7% of Queenslanders are renting, focusing our energy efficiency efforts only on homeowners ignores almost a third of the population.

·     Current rental laws mean renters have no power to improve their homes.

·     Many rental properties are the poorest quality homes, and most of these are rented out to low income households.

·     Regulation is necessary as landlords usually don’t undertake energy efficiency upgrades, even if funded, and even if it’s of no cost to themselves. This has been the experience in NSW, Vic and QLD. The NSW Home Power Savings Program, for example, showed that only 10 percent of private landlords gave permission for small improvements such as free efficient showerheads and draught strips to be installed under the program.

·     In the longer term, I want the Queensland Government to commit to performance-based Energy Efficiency Minimum Standards for Rental Properties.

·     Research published by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute in November 2022 found little evidence that residential tenancy law has impacted investment in private rental housing.

·     Tenants should be allowed to make reasonable minor energy efficiency modifications to their rental properties with the landlord needing to give reasons for refusal (as is the case in the ACT).