Keep the evaporative cooler in a rental, or replace it?

From 1 March 2027, rental providers must have energy-efficient fixed cooling in the main living area when a new rental agreement starts, and from 1 July 2030 all rentals must have cooling whatever their lease status. The Victorian Government's summary of the change notes that if evaporative cooling is already installed, it meets the standard.

So keeping a working cooler is a legitimate choice, not a loophole. The summary is explicit about the new-lease requirement, so check Consumer Affairs Victoria's current guidance on how an existing cooler is treated for the 2030 deadline. Either way, a supplied cooling appliance that stops working is on CAV's urgent repairs list, so whatever is there has to keep working.

An evaporative cooler blows outside air over wet pads and pushes it through the house and out through open windows and doors. On a hot, dry northerly day that works well and runs cheaply: ducted evaporative coolers use less than half the electricity of an air conditioner of similar capacity. Laverton averages about 27 days a year at or above 30 °C, most of them between December and February.

If the pads, pump, float valve and motor are in good order and the cooler is serviced before each summer, keeping it costs little up front and meets the standard. Some renters also prefer the fresh-air feel of evaporative cooling to a closed-up house.

Evaporative cooling loses ground when the air is already humid, because evaporation slows. A muggy evening or a sticky February night is when renters contact the agent to say the cooling isn't working, even though the unit is doing all it can. It also needs windows or doors open, which is awkward for renters on a busy road or in a ground-floor unit worried about security.

There's upkeep too. Central systems can use 25 litres of water or more an hour on hot, dry days, and the ducts should be closed off and the roof unit covered in winter if it has no automatic seals. And it does nothing for heating, which is where Victorians usually use the most energy.

Consumer Affairs Victoria's guide for rental providers says one reverse-cycle air conditioner can meet both the heating and cooling standards. That matters most when the heater is old. From 1 March 2027, a fixed heater that fails and can't be repaired must be replaced with an energy-efficient fixed electric heater with an outlet in the main living area. A gas heater near the end of its life is a good reason to plan the change now rather than in a rush mid-winter.

Reverse-cycle also copes with humid days, works with the house shut and gives renters one system to learn. The trade-offs are the cost up front, higher summer running costs than evaporative, and electrical work: a new system usually needs its own circuit, and we check the switchboard before anything goes in.

It doesn't have to be all or nothing. A common approach is to keep a sound cooler for the dry summer heat and add a reverse-cycle split system in the main living area. The split covers heating and the muggy nights, the cooler keeps the rest of the house comfortable on scorching days, and nothing is ripped out.

A full conversion to ducted reverse-cycle is the bigger step. Evaporative ducts are built to push outside air one way and are usually lightly insulated, so they rarely carry over; refrigerated ducts should be insulated to at least R1.5 with sealed joints. Plan on new ductwork, and time the work between tenancies or in autumn or spring so renters aren't left without cooling in the heat.

Have the cooler serviced and inspected first, so you know whether you're keeping a sound unit or nursing a tired one. Then look at the heater's type, age and condition. A good cooler with a newer efficient heater is a reasonable keep. A worn cooler beside an old gas heater points towards reverse-cycle.

Have the cooler, the heater and the switchboard looked at together, so the comparison is based on the actual house and each option is priced before any work starts.