Landlord move Victorian tenants are begging for
Another 22 per cent are unsure what features their home has, while 54 per cent feel completely powerless to make upgrades themselves, according to the PropTrack Origin Renter Reality Report released today.
Despite this, a significant number of tenants are still willing to pay more for better homes, with 38 per cent saying they would fork out extra for smart energy features. But those homes are few and far between.
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PropTrack senior economist Anne Flaherty said the findings painted a stark picture of a rental market falling behind on liveability, comfort and control.
'Many of these homes were built when energy was cheap, and insulation or efficiency just wasn't part of the conversation,' Ms Flaherty said.
'But that legacy is hitting renters hard.
'They are paying for poor performance through higher bills, and they have no ability to change it.'
Ms Flaherty said short leases and ownership rules mean renters often cannot make even simple changes to their homes, let alone major upgrades.
'With average tenancies under two years, renters are reluctant to invest in a property they may be forced to leave,' she said.
'They want more control, but the system just isn't built for it.'
The report also shows 59 per cent of renters believe landlords should be responsible for improving energy efficiency, placing the pressure squarely back on owners.
While the cost-of-living crisis has made renters more conscious of their energy use, the PropTrack senior economist said many are still sacrificing basic comforts like heating and hot water.
'Renters are cutting back where they can, but without proper insulation or efficient heating, it's just not enough,' Ms Flaherty said.
'They're stuck paying the price for decisions they don't get to make.'
Victoria's new rental minimum standards now require ceiling insulation and efficient heating in all new tenancies, but Ms Flaherty said the rollout is still gaining traction.
'There are still huge gaps in awareness, and enforcement,' she said.
Origin Energy General Manager of Retail Catherine Anderson said renters were not completely helpless, and even simple changes could shave hundreds off the annual energy bill.
'A door snake can reduce heat loss by up to 25 per cent. That is huge for such a low-cost fix,' Ms Anderson said.
'There are temporary insulation kits for windows, portable blinds, and smart plugs that stop standby power.
'These are simple, renter-friendly options.'
Ms Anderson said renters with a smart metre could log into their retailer's app to see their usage patterns in real time and adjust habits accordingly.
'More federal rebates and energy incentives were on the way, including new battery schemes, but renters needed support navigating the,' she said.
'Renters want better homes.
'Landlords need more reason to deliver them.'
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News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Australia's largest companies face another year of falling profits
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News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
‘A bit artificial': Shock unemployment figure exposes cracks in Australia's migration-fuelled NDIS jobs boom
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More than 1.1 million jobs created on our watch [and] the lowest average unemployment of any government in the last 50 years.'
SBS Australia
an hour ago
- SBS Australia
SBS News In Easy English 18 July 2025
Welcome to SBS News in Easy English, I'm Biwa Kwan. Anthony Albanese says his six-day tour of China has been successful, resulting in outcomes that will boost the bilateral relationship. The prime minister is ending his trip in the regional city of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, before he flies out of the country to return to Australia. Mr Albanese says it has been a productive trip, including the meeting with China's President Xi Jinping. "One of the theme of our discussions was improving people-to-people and cultural links between people in Australia and China. And I can think of no better way then through the sporting engagement at what is the iconic sporting event in Australia - our Australian Open. Indeed the last Australian prime minister to visit Sichuan was Bob Hawke in 1986. And that time he launched an annual Australia-China tennis challenge. A gesture of goodwill between our nations." The late Yolngu Elder and land rights pioneer, Dr Galarrwuy Yunupingu, has been officially awarded the nation's highest civilian honour, two years after his death. The Companion of the Order of Australia was accepted by his eldest daughter, Binmila, from Governor-General Sam Mostyn, who travelled to north-east Arnhem Land to present the award in person. The Governor General says Dr Yunupingu would have viewed the award in his own way. "But I am also aware that in the 50th year of the Australian honours and awards system, this may be an award that Dr Yunupingu may not have really seen as necessary. Or seen as adding to the way he lived his life. In a way it is an important thing that we are doing in acknowledging his life through a system that must sit alongside something else that Dr Yunupingu said in his essay. He spoke of an allegiance to each other, to land and to ceremonies that define Yolngu." Australia's unemployment rate has risen slightly, from 4.1 to 4.2 per cent. It is the highest unemployment rate since November 2021. The number of unemployed people increased by 34,000; and the number of people with a full-time job fell by 38,000. Analysts say the figure will be a deciding factor on whether the Reserve Bank decies to make an interest rate cut. An Australian innovation is hoping to revolutionise landmine clearance. According to NATO's Strategic Warfare Development Command, there are still 110 million landmines around the world. The world's largest landmine clearance charity, the HALO Trust, says over 5,700 civilians were killed or injured by landmines and explosives in 2023. John Shanahan is the Managing Director of Mread, an Australian company working in collaboration with the C-S-I-R-O. He says the teams have developed the first handheld device using low frequency radio waves to identify explosives. "Every explosive, or drugs which we detect has a fingerprint. We are the only sensor that can detect the actual fingerprint. So not that there's an anomaly there, as we talked about earlier, it's just, this is that substance. It's just binary as that." In cycling, Tadej Pogacar has regained the overall lead of the Tour de France, after winning stage 12. The three-time Tour winner completed stage on the first major mountain of the race ahead of Jonas Vingegaard [[YOH-nuss vin-nee-GOH]] with a margin of two minutes 10 seconds. Pogacar dedicated the stage win to 19-year-old Italian cyclist Samuele Privitera who died after a crash in the opening stage of the Giro della Valle d'Aosta. "I think this stage can go for (be a tribute for) somehwhere - and to all his family because it was really sad. The first thing I read in the morning and yeah, it was just... I was thinking in the last kilometre about him and yeah, how tough this sport can be - and how much pain it can cause." Thanks for listening. This is SBS News in Easy English.
