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Landlords are property-hoarding “bludgers” who should be pressured to fork out money to keep homes cool and comfortable for tenants, according to Brisbane City Greens Councillor Jonathan Sri. “We’re seeing more people dying from heatwaves, we’re seeing more people suffering health impacts from severe heat stress,” he told Sky News Australia. “If a landlord is going to rent out a property, it needs to be safe to live in. “Landlords are bludgers who hoard properties, they already have enough homes, they just rip people off – like that’s a scam in and of itself.” Greens in Queensland and Victoria have called for government intervention to improve rental standards and potentially mandate cooling systems, as well as floating the forced waiving of rent if properties become too hot. Mr Sri said some properties would need aircon or insulation while others would need to be “redesigned” for passive cooling. “If you put that pressure on landlords and property investors, they’ll find different solutions,” he said. “I don’t stay in hotels very often, I prefer to cough surf, but if I rent out a hotel room that’s too hot to stay in, I expect the hotel operator to provide a refund or a discount, and I’m saying the same should apply to long-term residential rentals.” Mr Sri suggested renewable power would meet the energy needs.”
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