ACT Rental Insulation Standards 2026: What Landlords Must Do

The R5 Deadline Is 30 November 2026

Since 1 April 2023, rental properties in the ACT with no ceiling insulation or insulation rated below R2 have generally been required to upgrade to R5, unless an exemption applies. Properties with existing insulation rated R2 or higher meet the standard. The deadline for existing tenancies is 30 November 2026, unless the property is exempt.

From 1 December 2026, properties entering the rental market must comply within three months of signing a new lease, unless an exemption applies.

What R5 Means in Practice

R-value measures thermal resistance. The R5 target is required for properties with no ceiling insulation or insulation below R2. If your property was built before the early 2000s and hasn't been re-insulated since, it may be worth having a qualified installer check its current rating.

For a property with no ceiling insulation or insulation below R2, arrange an upgrade to R5 by a certified installer, unless an exemption applies. Keep the certified installer's receipt, the electrician's safety report, and a record of the R-value achieved.

Disclosure Is Mandatory

Landlords must disclose the property's insulation compliance status in two places:

1. Rental advertisements — listings must state whether the property meets the minimum insulation standard.
2. The lease agreement — the insulation status must be part of the tenancy documentation.

This isn't optional disclosure. Advertising a property for rent without an insulation statement is a compliance failure, regardless of whether the insulation itself meets the standard.

Energy Efficiency Ratings Are Separate

The ACT also requires landlords to disclose the property's Energy Efficiency Rating (EER) in rental advertisements. The EER and the insulation mandate are related but distinct: a property can have a low EER and still meet the R5 insulation requirement, or vice versa. Both must be disclosed, and neither substitutes for the other.

What Happens If You Don't Comply

The RTA sets a specific penalty for publishing a rental listing without declaring the property's minimum-standard compliance status: up to five penalty units ($800 for an individual or $4,050 for a corporation). This is a disclosure offence; it is not a single penalty that applies to every insulation breach.

Insulation compliance is a separate minimum-housing-standard issue. Keep its compliance records distinct from bond evidence such as condition reports, photographs, and repair invoices.

Connection to Bond Compliance

Insulation compliance and bond compliance might seem like separate topics, but they intersect at the condition report and the end-of-tenancy inspection. A property that doesn't meet minimum standards creates friction in every interaction with the tenant and the tribunal. Our ACT Rental Bond Guide places the insulation mandate in context alongside the other deadlines and requirements a self-managing landlord needs to track — including what to document if your property is in the process of being upgraded.

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