Tenant Dilemma - Renting a Property in Sydney with No Ceiling Insulation Batts Installed

There are a number of questions most tenants would ask before signing a rental agreement, but to ask how well insulated a property is might not be one of them. In fact, many tenants wouldn’t think to ask or check whether, there are any insulation batts installed in the ceiling. Even if the ceiling is insulated, the insulation might not meet the specific R-value requirements for the climate zone the property is located in. Australia is divided into eight different climate zones and the climate zone is a major determining factor with regards to which R-Value of ceiling insulation batts www.pricewiseinsulation.com.au/pro... is recommended.

A well-insulated ceiling comes with certain benefits that no tenant would like to miss out on.

These benefits include:

Minimised heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer

Energy costs (e.g. electricity bills) will be considerably reduced

Noise from outside will be blocked more effectively

Home owners of a property that is either uninsulated or doesn’t meet current standards, have usually got the option to insulate it themselves. As a tenant, to modify a building without permission from the landlord is not an option. There is currently no legal obligation for a landlord to guarantee insulation of a rental property, which makes things a little more difficult for a tenant renting a property without adequate ceiling insulation.

So what are the options when renting a house with no ceiling insulation?

The first thing to try would be to approach the landlord and explain the issue to them. If the landlord agrees with the observation and importance of ceiling insulation, they might get onto it straight away and even organise the supply and the installation of insulation batts for the occupant of the property. This is obviously the ideal outcome for the tenant.

If the landlord isn’t convinced and doesn’t see the need for insulation or doesn’t want to invest the amount necessary to both purchase and install it, the tenant could, for example, suggest to cover 50% of the supply and installation cost and as a further incentive to the landlord, offer to organise the job on the landlord’s behalf. That way, both interests are considered and the outcome might be acceptable to both parties.

A third option and not the most favourable to a tenant would be to ask for permission to install the insulation at own cost. However, the cost would have to be weighed up with intended duration of stay in the rental home and this outcome would probably only be worthwhile if the tenant was planning to rent for at least 5 years. After this time, the cost of the insulation might be expected to have ‘paid for itself’ by way of the reduction in energy costs.

All the above options assume that any sensible landlord will at least be willing to allow insulation batts www.pricewiseinsulation.com.au to be installed, even if they’re not willing to wear the full cost. It is worth noting that a house with a well-insulated ceiling is only of advantage to any landlord. Insulation batts in the ceiling reduces the need for heating and cooling appliances, potentially increasing their useful life by many years. And not least, tenants living in a well-insulated home are probably less likely to complain or look around for another place to live.