(NSW) Include Cooling Features in Rental Minimum Standards
- Alice Nigro, Jacinda Dixon-Rielly, Harriett Cox, Zoe Kromar, Sheri Dewhurst, Irene Jophy & Zehra Yamac
- Apr 21
- 9 min read
Author: Alice Nigro, Jacinda Dixon-Rielly, Harriett Cox, Zoe Kromar, Sheri Dewhurst, Irene Jophy & Zehra Yamac | Publish date: 21/4/2026
P: In NSW, cooling features (e.g. blinds and air conditioning) are not included in the rental minimum standards.
S: The NSW Minister for Housing should amend Section 52(1A) of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW) to explicitly include cooling features as rental minimum standards. (See below).
E: Sweltering Cities: ‘Amend the rental standards to include cooling features including: screen doors, window features - blinds, the presence of windows in all bedrooms, shades (internal and external), air conditioning, external shading options, double glazing on windows, ventilation / dehumidifying measures - vents in the kitchen, design that encourages airflow, added machines where this is lacking (e.g. dehumidifiers provided)’.
Problem Identification:
Section 52(1A) of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW) sets out the ‘landlord's general obligations for residential premises’, such as ‘[having] adequate ventilation’. However, cooling features (above) are not included.
According to Sweltering Cities, this means that ‘renters are baking in dangerously hot homes every summer’ with ‘no real power to get their landlords to make simple cooling modifications’. The Too Hot to Be Home Report (THBH) (2026) argued ‘heat is not experienced as a short-term weather event but as an ongoing housing condition that affects [renters’] health, sleep, finances, and a sense of safety at home.’
Context:
Better Renting reported NSW apartments frequently exceed 25-30°C indoors, with over half of sleeping hours spent above 25°C. The Heat in Homes Report (2025) stated that 87% of people experience excessive heat in their home, which 54% struggle to cool. The Hot Homes (HH) (2022) Report highlighted that ‘in particular, people who rent tend to live in homes [with] … fewer options to stay cool.’
The HH Report (2022) further highlighted that ‘climate change is predicted to increase the frequency, duration, and severity of heatwaves, and this would lead to more deaths from heat.’ The THBH Report (2026) stated that these effects are most adverse for ‘older people, young children, and people with chronic health conditions.’
Arguments:
The Boiling Point Report (2026) highlighted that ‘renters are consistently experiencing temperatures in their homes that are deleterious to their health.’ The report found that ‘sustained exposure … [compounds] physiological stress’, with ‘high night-time temperatures linked to increased mortality’. They further stated that ‘periods of extreme heat are associated with sharp increases in mortality, hospital admissions and emergency service use, particularly due to cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal stress.’
According to the THBH Report (2026), ‘unlike [home owners], renters typically have limited control’ over cooling features, making extreme heat ‘often unavoidable.’ The HH Report (2022) explained ‘renters cannot make structural changes to improve their home’s energy performance’. It stated that renters may be hesitant to request cooling features due to ‘a fear of retaliation (through a rent increase or lease termination)’. In personal testimonies, a renter has shared that they ‘have no air-conditioning or ceiling fans, and [the] landlord has repeatedly refused [their] prior requests so [they] won't even bother asking again,’ as the lack of control makes them ‘feel really helpless.’
The Boiling Point Report (2026) highlighted that the impacts of heat related illness ‘are not evenly distributed’. For example, the Sweltering Cities Summer Survey (2026) warned that for people with disability ‘heat can intensify existing health conditions …, increase fatigue, pain, sensory stress, reduce mobility and capacity to function.’ According to the First Nations Clean Energy Network, First Nations people are less likely to live in homes with cooling features, with 90% of First Nations people reporting ‘their homes get too hot’.
The Heat in Homes Report (2025) noted that in severe heat ‘medical and government advice often is to leave home to go to a cooler place’. However, 77% of people surveyed reported ‘barriers to leaving their home to find a cooler location’ due to cost of entry (e.g. to a cafe), caring responsibilities and health issues that confine people at home. The THBH Report (2026) highlighted that people do ‘[leave] their homes altogether during stretches of high temperatures’ but the homes become ‘a source of stress’. In a personal testimony, a renter shared that it’s ‘a terrible feeling when home feels like a place you need to escape from to function properly.’
Advice/Solution Identification:
Sweltering Cities has called for including cooling features in rental minimum standards. They stated that this could allow every renter to have ‘a heat safe home’. Better Renting argued this could provide all renters with the ability to demand and install cooling systems, avoiding the need to leave their home ‘to cope with heat’.
Precedent:
There is a domestic precedent for including cooling features in rental minimum standards. In VIC, cooling standards in rental properties have been introduced by mandating cooling features such as ‘efficient electrical cooling (eg: reverse cycle air-conditioner) in the main living room.’
Public Support:
Broad Support:
Healthy Homes for Renters - Recommended ‘basic energy efficiency standards to ensure healthy homes for renters’, including ‘provide window coverings’, ‘decent heating and cooling’ and ‘seal doors and windows’.
World Health Organisation (WHO) - Recommended in the WHO Housing and Health Guidelines that member states should address the health risks of indoor heat through ‘regulations on minimum requirements for ventilation, insulation and air conditioning measures’.
The following organisations endorsed the Healthy Homes for Renters’ recommendation within this submission:
‘The signatories to this statement call on the Federal Government to act urgently and do more to help renters with the cost of living, cut their energy bills, and improve their health and well-being, by playing a more hands-on role to support state and territory governments overcome barriers and implement mandatory energy performance rental standards.’
This list reflects publicly stated positions and should not necessarily be taken as endorsement of this specific brief.
News Coverage:
ABC News - “What landlords are obliged to do to cool your rental as temperatures rise”. The article examined the legal obligations for cooling standards in rental homes across Australia. By: Georgie Hewson | 9 January 2026 - Read the article here.
9 News - “'Like a pizza oven': NSW renters trapped in dangerously hot homes”. The article highlighted the experiences of NSW renters affected by high indoor temperatures and discussed calls to introduce minimum energy standards. By: Emily McPherson | 8 April 2026 - Read the article here.
ABC News - “New plan for Sydney heatwaves calls for minimum rental standards to include cooling”. The article reported on the Heat Smart Plan, launched by the Greater Sydney Heat Taskforce, which called for enforceable minimum thermal standards. By: Rosemary Bolger | 5 December 2024 - Read the article here.
Pedestrian - “Temperatures In NSW Rentals Soared Well Above The World Health Org’s Safety Levels Last Summer”. The article detailed the Boiling Point report from Better Renting, which described renters' experiences during heatwaves, prompting calls for minimum energy-efficiency standards in NSW. By: Tom Disalvo | 8 April 2026 - Read the article here.
Domain - “Renters don't need luxury: New data finds they just want air-conditioning”. This article reported on the increasing demand for cooling amenities in rental properties across Australian cities. By: Lisa Marie Corso | 25 September 2025 - Read the article here.
Where to go to learn more:
(2026) Too Hot to Be Home Report: NSW renters’ experiences of summer heat in apartments and high-rise buildings | Better Renting & City of Sydney - This report documented how renters in NSW apartments and high-rise buildings are exposed to extreme summer heat, with many living in homes that stay above safe and comfortable indoor temperatures for long periods, undermining health, safety and the right to a decent home. Read the full report here.
(2026) Boiling Point: NSW renters pushed to the limit by unsafe indoor heat | Better Renting & City of Sydney - This report outlined that NSW rental homes reached dangerous indoor temperatures this summer, with some properties hitting 45°C, and underscores the urgent need for mandatory minimum energy efficiency standards to protect tenants' health and financial well-being. Read the full report here.
(2026) Sweltering Cities: Summer Survey | Sweltering Cities - This report examined the physical and mental health impacts of extreme heat across Australian states, specifically focusing on the disproportionate impacts on vulnerable groups. Read the full report here.
(2025) Heat In Homes Survey Report | ACOSS - This report highlighted an escalating crisis where low-income households, particularly renters, are being trapped in dangerously hot homes. Detailing the physical, mental, and financial toll of extreme heat, emphasising that the current housing stock is unfit for a warming climate. Read the full report here.
Residential Tenancies Act 2010 - Section 52 (NSW) - Read the full Act here.
Human Perspective:
Cassie is a 22-year-old university student renting a small apartment in Sydney’s Inner West. Sleepless nights, constant fatigue and falling behind in her studies have become routine. Her home traps heat well into the early hours, and without proper cooling, the temperature inside becomes dangerously high overnight. Because she has no bedroom window (which she was shocked to find was legal when she moved in), the small fan she bought offers little relief, circulating hot air. She felt dismissed and unheard after raising this issue with her landlord, who told her to “just buy another fan.” Being sleep deprived has affected her ability to concentrate and complete her assignments on time. Even basic tasks like cooking or studying at home have started to feel overwhelming without a working vent. Her place of rest has become a source of persistent discomfort and stress, eroding both her academic performance and overall well-being. As the campus library closes at 9 pm, Cassie and her friends in similar rental situations feel there is no place to go. With rising rents, the prospect of relocating seems increasingly out of reach, leaving her effectively trapped between unsafe conditions and the risk of displacement.
To protect the anonymity of those involved, this is a fictionalised account drawn from an amalgamation of real-life stories, experiences and testimonials gathered during the research process for this brief. Any resemblance to actual individuals is purely coincidental.
Conflict of interest/acknowledgment statement:
N/A
Support
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Disclaimers
Please review all FORE disclaimers here.
Reference list:
ACOSS. (2025). Heat In Homes Survey Report 2025. https://www.acoss.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Heat-Survey-Report-v1.0-Digital.pdf
ACT Government. Minimum energy efficiency standards for rental homes Information for renters. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2026, from https://www.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/2602927/Tenant-factsheet-minimum-energy-efficiency-standards-for-rental-properties.pdf
Better Renting. (2026). Too Hot to Be Home: NSW renters’ experiences of summer heat in apartments and high-rise buildings. https://assets.nationbuilder.com/betterrenting/pages/2252/attachments/original/1772583209/NSW_Summer_Renter_Researchers_report_1_-_Apartments_and_High-Rise_buildings.pdf
Consumer Affairs Victoria, Victorian Government. (2026, April 14). New minimum
energy efficiency standards.
Dignam, J., & Barrett, B. (2022). Hot homes: Renter Researchers’ experiences of summer 21-22. Better Renting. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P5pHlpQD-Sl-Ww28k8NnWPuNxiTy7751/view
First Nations Clean Energy Network. (2025). Homes are too hot or cold, energy bills are hard to pay - New Heat in Homes Survey Report. https://www.firstnationscleanenergy.org.au/heat_survey_2025#:~:text=Some%2090%25%20of,related%20medical%20attention.
Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW). https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/rta2010207/s52.html
Sweltering Cities. (n.d.). Heatwave Safe Homes for Renters. https://swelteringcities.org/heatwave-safe-homes-for-renters/#the-problem
Sweltering Cities. (2026). Summer Survey. https://swelteringcities.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Summer-Survey-2026-report-v1.0.pdf
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