9th Biennial ACSPRI Social Science Methodology Conference

“Exploring the linkages between rental repairs rights and energy inefficient homes” is an action project that examines how these inefficiencies increase financial burdens through higher utility bills and how renters experience disempowerment while navigating the legal system. The project is a cross-disciplinary collaboration between Anika Legal, the Consumer Action Law Centre, and the Consumer Policy Research Centre, combining legal, financial, and policy expertise.

Energy inefficiency in rental properties often affects vulnerable renters who face disproportionate financial stress. Renters may struggle to address these issues through the legal system, as the complexity and inaccessibility of legal processes can leave them feeling disempowered. Renters’ capacity to improve their quality of life is further obstructed by the power imbalance inherent within their relationship with their landlord. This project aims to capture the full extent of these experiences by examining both the financial impact and the renters’ interactions with the legal system as they attempt to enforce their rights.

The research methodology emphasises data collection across the service delivery lifecycle, beginning with the cases that come through Anika Legal, where renters report issues of energy inefficiency as linked to disrepair within the rental home. Additional data from the Consumer Action Law Centre captures the financial strain renters experience due to elevated energy costs. The culmination of the research is a series of in-depth interviews with renters, aimed at understanding their personal stories, particularly the sense of disempowerment that arises when dealing with legal barriers.

By integrating quantitative data with these personal narratives, the project highlights the systemic issues that make it difficult for renters to navigate legal and financial pathways. The collaborative nature of this partnership allows the project to address these issues from multiple angles, ensuring a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges renters face.

This presentation will explore key findings from the project, including the financial and legal difficulties renters encounter, and will contribute to discussions about strengthening consumer protections in the rental market. By sharing our research methods and insights at the Social Science Methodology Conference, we hope to encourage dialogue around how interdisciplinary collaborations through action research can help address disempowerment and improve consumer outcomes in other sectors as well.