ACT landlords and their rental investment properties will be required to meet a minimum energy efficiency standard from April 2023 according to new regulations introduced by the ACT Government.
This means that rental providers will have nine months to meet this new standard after a new lease has been signed. Come 1st of December 2026, the expectation is that properties are already in compliance or in the process of complying with the new standard whether a lease has or hasn’t been signed. New properties hitting the market will have three months to meet the standard.
Rental providers must include details on the property’s compliance in all rental advertisements and residential tenancy agreements from 1 April 2023.
Recognising that the costs of the new energy efficiency standards don’t come cheap, ACT Government introduced the Sustainable Household Scheme allowing landlords needing to upgrade their rental properties to access a zero-interest loan (of up to $15,000) for insulation from early 2023.
In August this year, the Victorian government increased minimum energy efficiency building standards for new homes. The changes become mandatory from 1 October 2023.
In the same month, the NSW government announced that minimum energy standards for new homes being built would increase and the new policy also applies to renovations over $50,000.
In 2020, the Australian Government releases a Minimum Energy Standards for Rented Properties report. You’ll find more information at https://www.energy.gov.au/news-media/news/minimum-energy-standards-rented-properties-report-released
In Queensland, new houses and townhouses must achieve a minimum 6-star energy equivalence rating and new energy standards for units will apply from 1 October 2023.
Speak with your property manager if you have concerns about whether new requirement may affect you.