Should landlords be responsible for keeping tenants cool as Perth swelters through record heat? – ABC News

For four days in Perth's heatwave over Christmas and New Year's, the temperature in Rosa Hicks's bedroom did not sink below 30 degrees.

Forced to isolate for a day in her smallSouth Fremantle share house, she had only a pedestal fan to use in an attempt to cool herself.

She saidher rented house had not been "liveable or healthy" this summer season.

"When I was isolating in my room for 12 hours waiting for a COVID test result, I felt even more trapped knowing I couldn't escape to the sea or even catch the breeze in my garden," she told Geoff Hutchison on ABC Perth's Drive program.

Ms Hicks has been tracking the temperature in her bedroom with a thermometer provided by tenancy advocacy group Better Renting for a project called Renter Researchers.

"I was struggling to sleep," she said.

"I don't think I realised just how hot it was getting until I had this sort of quantitative data in front of me."

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The situation will come into sharp focus for many tenants as Perthsweltersthrough anotherheatwave which could break a record for the most consecutive days over 40 degrees, prompting health warnings and record power consumption.

Better Rentingexecutive director Joel Digham said the experience of tenants like Ms Hicks had prompted a renewed push for landlords to provide minimum standards of comfortin their properties.

"Renter Researchers aims to bring out into the open what people who rent their homes are experiencing, combining data and people's stories to highlight the challenges of enduring an Australian summer in a poor-quality home," he said.

"Minimum rental standards would make it easier for people who rent to be able to afford to keep their home at a decent temperature in summer."

Real Estate Institute of WA (REIWA) president Damian Collins said landlords were not obliged to provide air conditioning for tenants.

"The more things you make mandatory, the higher the cost of rent will be," he said.

"And ultimately, tenants have to make their own choice.

"Some people feel they need it but some people and some properties, perhaps orientated correctly, can cope perfectly fine without it.

"We'd certainly be against any mandating of air conditioning."

While landlordsdo not have to provide a property with suitable heating and cooling units, if a unit is already in a property they are required to maintain it.

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Circle Green Community Legalmanaging solicitor of tenancy Alice Pennycott said minimum standards for heating and cooling rentals were part of the organisation's submission to a review of the WA Residential Tenancies Act.

But she said that even if it cooled or heated the house effectively, inefficient or expensive-to-run air conditioning could also be an issue for tenants.

"Energy efficiency is a big one," Ms Pennycott said.

"There's a significant impact on health and wellbeing if there's issues with mould and damp during the cooler months, but also in having to choose between putting aircon on and being able to afford groceries, particularly for low-income families.

"We put forward in ourquite detailedsubmissions around getting the minimum standards for energy efficiency and health.

"I'm still waiting to hear from the [state] government as to whether that's something that they are putting in.

"I would hope that it's something that they would consider."

A spokesperson from Consumer Protection said several submissions to the review of WA's residential tenancy laws raised the issue of cooling in rental properties.

"Stakeholders suggested that adequate cooling and ceiling fans should be a minimum requirement for homes in warmer parts of WA," the spokesperson said.

"Related issues around adequate home insulation, energy efficient homes and climate change were also raised during consultation."

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Should landlords be responsible for keeping tenants cool as Perth swelters through record heat? - ABC News