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Renters are being forced to live in sweltering and unsafe conditions during the summer months, with inside temperatures reaching 30 degrees every day in some homes, new research has found.
Substandard homes and rising energy costs mean many renters are being left to suffer miserably, according to the report from advocacy group Better Renting.
Temperatures inside 77 rental homes across Australia were tracked by researchers over the course of this summer, from December last year to the end of February.
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On average, indoor temperatures were above 25 degrees for 40 percent of the time, or over 9 hours a day, and above 30 degrees for an hour a day.
According to the World Health Organisation, 18-24 degrees is the safe range for indoor temperatures.
However, the study found four states, NSW, Queensland, Northern Territory and Tasmania, recorded maximum indoor temperatures above 40 degrees, with the highest temperature reaching 51.8 in Tasmania.
The highest temperature recorded in NSW was 46.4 degrees, and 42.1 degrees in Queensland.
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Many renters were avoiding using air conditioning because of high energy costs, or were unable to cool their homes despite turning on cooling appliances, the report found.
A lack of insulation was identified as a problem in many of the rental homes.
Heat radiating down from uninsulated ceilings meant some renters felt like they were being 'cooked from above'.
"It's hell. I feel extremely restricted in terms of what I can do and where I can go in the house," one Victorian renter, Archie, was quoted as saying.
"So the main living room, my bedroom and the kitchen are too hot to use.
"I have a portable AC that I put in my room and it's the only way I can use the room and actually get some sleep."
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The rising cost of living meant renters were often stuck living in unhealthy conditions, Better Renting Executive Director Joel Dignam said.
"Everyone needs a healthy home. Governments have a responsibility to act so that renters can afford to keep their home at a healthy temperature.
"This doesn't just mean another pre-election cash splash, it should mean introducing minimum energy efficiency standards to ensure that rental homes are decent to live in."
"When your rent and your energy costs are going up, one thing people cut back on is cooling.
"But when you're in a substandard home, this means suffering in excessive indoor heat. Even in this milder summer, we saw worrying indoor temperatures.
"As temperatures, energy costs and rents continue to go up, governments need to act to keep renters safe in their homes."
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