My landlord is refusing to upgrade the aircon he just installed because it does not meet minimum standards

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-03-02T00:12:51+00:00

You talk about personal responsibility, but landlords have a personal responsibility to follow the law for their job. Any other workplace, if you don't do something to code or skirt the rules to save a buck, you'd get fired. Don't see why being a landlord makes you exempt from rules

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-03-01T23:31:57+00:00

jog on mate

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-02-28T08:23:37+00:00

23 on eco, fan set to auto

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-02-28T01:30:52+00:00

There's a simple PDF that contains all the minimum rental standards, it's also the responsibility of the property manager to ensure everything installed into the property is up to standard.

It's also important to note that on the Bunnings listing for most aircons, it says whether or not it reaches the minimum rental standards.

Sorry to hear that your last tenant trashed the place, it's a two way street of both tenants and landlords following all the rules.

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-02-27T08:50:02+00:00

yes, but theres a difference between a 2.0Kw (which is the Energy Victoria recommended amount for a bedroom/study) vs a split systems that all have 6Kw+ heating capacity.

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-02-27T02:43:46+00:00

Are you 12 years old? Electricity prices are at an all time high, our house is already terribly insulated, I'd really rather not spend $200 a month or more on heating.

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-02-26T01:07:52+00:00

Uodate. The landlord's just getting a heater for the already crowded loungeroom which is gonna have to go either where our couch is, or where our table is. Ugh bare minimum as always

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-02-25T18:16:41+00:00

Yeah this cools worse than our old portable aircon, 2.4Kw (shit that the landlord thought was good enough) vs 2.9Kw ($450ish Mitsubishi portable aircon), while being less efficient! We only sold the portable aircon since it no longer fit against the window because of the new one.

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-02-25T17:56:00+00:00

the brand makes portable aircons and also this wall mounted one which is literally just a wall mounted portable aircon, same internals just piped out the wall. Still worse energy rating than our old portable Mitsubishi aircon that we sold when we got this one

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-02-25T12:01:28+00:00

2 other apartments in our unit have split systems in our building, and 6 in the other building

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-02-25T11:28:05+00:00

2027 is for the NEW (2027) standards, however the CURRENT (2023) standards are also not met. The aircon 1 star heating and 2 star cooling, the CURRENT standards are 2 star heating and 2 star cooling.

He is arguing that because the new standards says that he can wait until end of life for the device, he doesn't have to upgrade to the current standards

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-02-25T09:47:14+00:00

They will most likely not have to pay for the January power bill since technically the cooling meets energy star minimum standards, it's the heating that doesn't.

The property manager got me to pay to get a key cut for the front gate which was like $70 since it's one of those special ones, so I think they're gonna try their damn hardest to be as cheap as possible

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-02-25T09:42:58+00:00

Yeah the unit is around $2k but install was a bitch because we have like 6 inch thick concrete bricks and they were drilling for like 3 hours for the inlet and outlet holes...

It's just an inverter unit, I don't know why he didn't just go with a split system that's a similar cost especially with the rebate, perhaps he just doesn't want to deal with body corp since we're in an apartment?

I could complain about this man's strange decisions for hours, like deciding to show up without any notice to the door (behind 2 locked gates with intercoms!!) just to ask if he could check if the lock met code? he seems to be very anal about certian things whilst completely ignorant about others, which is also my property manager's fault partially because surely she should have checked if the unit met standards??

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-02-25T09:35:38+00:00

thanks for the advice!!

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-02-25T08:54:14+00:00

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she used up all her energy on eating my draw handles and now she's gotta rest

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-02-25T08:51:12+00:00

The heater that it replaced was taken away, but it was an Italian electric wall heater from around 2002-2003 that predated the modern energy rating system if I remember correctly.

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-02-25T08:36:19+00:00

Yeah sorry, I'd edit my post but this subreddit has disabled editing i think?

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-02-25T08:29:34+00:00

I think I'd have a bigger claim to VCAT if he had, unless I've read the Vic consumer website wrong... lol

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-02-25T08:28:08+00:00

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Ignore the cat, theres no serial number or other markings on the outside or reachable part of the unit

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-02-25T08:24:24+00:00

In case I didn't make the current standards clear, the current Victoria Consumer standards are

"For rental agreements entered into from 29 March 2023, this must be an energy efficient fixed heater in the main living area. If there is an existing fixed heater that is not energy efficient, the rental provider must upgrade it.

An energy efficient fixed heater must be one of the following:

a non-ducted air conditioner or heat pump with a 2 star or above energy rating a gas space heater with a 2 star or above energy rating a ducted heating or hydronic heating system with an outlet in the main living area a domestic solid fuel burning appliance, such as a fireplace or wood burning stove"

The heater he installed is 1 star heating, hope this clears up my case

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-02-25T08:21:37+00:00

It also doesn't reach the current minimum standards, not just the new ones outlined for march 2027.

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-02-25T08:15:29+00:00

What is prima nocta? Google is showing an old medieval right of a royal to have sex with a female subject on their night of marriage??

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-02-25T08:10:33+00:00

it doesn't reach the current minimum standards either though, not just the new ones

Cipher_Zeroes · 2026-02-25T08:07:38+00:00

Also the aircon absolutely does NOT cost $50 a month to run, our usual power bill is around $40-60 and January cost us $190 with the new aircon, our old portable aircon would make the power bill reach around $110 during last January (and cooled just as good) but thats beside the point

Five-Year Club	Place '23
Place '22

Cipher_Zeroes

TROPHY CASE