By Matthew Sims
West Footscray renter Carol, who has requested her surname to not be published, has lived in the same rental property for more than 10 years and has struggled with keeping the property warm during winter.
A single mum living with a chronic lung disease and raising two children, the eldest of which is in Year 12, she said the conditions she and her family have had to live in have been “getting worse and worse”.
Having a heater in every room and purchasing extra bedding, Carol said her power bill was still “eye-wateringly high”.
“I still can’t heat my home well,” she said.
Carol participated in Better Renting’s Winter Renter Researchers project, which tracked winter temperatures in the homes of more than 70 participants across the country using smart thermometers which track temperature and humidity at one-minute intervals, with participants also contributing qualitative data through surveys, phone interviews, webinars, and digital chat groups.
The study showed that despite the World Health Organisation [WHO] recommending 18 degrees Celsisus as the minimum healthy indoor temperature, temperatures fell below this mark for more than 17 hours a day across the surveyed households.
Carol said her situation often made her feel “deep rage and disappointment” at the government’s standards and the power imbalance between landlords and tenants.
“It just me very upset that my landlord is able to look after him and his family,” she said.
“We’re second-rate citizens.”
“You just have to suck it up.”
Better Renting’s Cold and Costly report indicated that there needed to be better government standards to allow for retrofits to rental properties, such as installing ceiling insulation, window treatments and more efficient reverse-cycle heating systems.
Carol said there needed to be more income support for low-income households to support those struggling with the extra costs of keeping their homes warm during winter.
“The subsidies for rent assistance don’t deal with the rise of costs and living standards,” she said.
Details: www.betterrenting.org.au
