ACT landlords: your ceiling insulation deadline may be sooner than 30 November

Since 1 April 2023, every ACT rental has been on the clock to meet a minimum ceiling insulation standard. The headline deadline is 30 November 2026. But for many Canberra landlords, the real deadline has already passed, or arrives sooner than they think.

Here's what the standard requires, how to work out your date, and how to prove you comply.

What the standard requires

The rule applies to the habitable parts of a rental home (ACT Government):

• If the ceiling already has insulation rated R2 or more, you meet the standard.
• If there's none, or it's below R2, you need to install or top up to a total of at least R5, which is what typically goes into new homes.
• If the insulation is existing foil-laminated or cellulose-based loose-fill rated below R2, it has to be removed before the new insulation goes in.
• A licensed electrician must inspect first and complete any required electrical work, and an approved installer must remove the old insulation and install the new (Residential Tenancies Regulation 1998, s 10).

When do you have to comply?

The date depends on when your current tenancy agreement was signed. The ACT Government's landlord factsheet and insulation page set out the timeline, and the Regulation has the legal wording:

• Signed before 1 April 2023 (and continuously tenanted since): by 30 November 2026.
• Signed from 1 April 2023 to 30 June 2026: within 9 months of signing. A lease signed in June 2025 had until about March 2026.
• Signed from 1 July 2026 to 30 November 2026: ACT Government guidance says 9 months from signing. The Regulation as republished in February 2026 only sets the 9-month window for leases signed up to 30 June 2026 and sets no date for this group. Where the Regulation sets no period, the Act (ss 12(4) and 19B) makes the compliance date one month after signing, which is the strictest reading. To be safe, book the work now and aim to finish within one month of signing, and in any case by 30 November 2026, which is the date PropKeeper uses for these leases and may be later than the one-month reading.
• Signed on or after 1 December 2026: within 3 months of signing.
• Exemption ends: the Regulation gives you 9 months if the exemption stops applying before 1 July 2026, and 3 months after that. ACT Government guidance says 9 months up to 30 November 2026 and 3 months after. The Regulation is the legal rule, so plan on its shorter period for exemptions that end from 1 July 2026.

Where ACT Government guidance and the Regulation's wording differ, as for leases signed 1 July to 30 November 2026 and for ended exemptions, take advice before relying on the longer period. If you re-let a property in the past three years without checking the insulation, it's worth checking now. Confirm your situation against the current regulation on the ACT Legislation Register.

The $10,000 cap

If bringing the whole home up to standard is likely to cost more than $10,000, you're treated as compliant if you insulate as many of the designated rooms as you can for $10,000, starting with the rooms people occupy longest, such as bedrooms and living rooms. The cost includes any required electrical work. Keep a quote from an approved installer and a licensed electrician showing why you stopped there.

Exemptions

Premises are exempt, for the affected room or part of a room, in these cases (Regulation, s 11):

• insulation can't be installed for structural reasons, for example the roof cavity is too small to install it safely;
• the premises weren't continuously tenanted over the relevant period;
• the tenant tells you in writing that they don't want ceiling insulation installed;
• a unit in a building with two or more storeys, where the room is directly below another unit;
• a top-storey unit where the owners corporation confirms in writing that it intends to arrange the installation, or refuses permission;
• premises registered under the Heritage Act 2004 where installing insulation would be likely to have a significant adverse impact on heritage significance;
• you told the tenant in writing, before the agreement, that you intend to demolish all or a substantial part of the premises within 2 years;
• a fixed-term agreement of 12 months or less where the tenant is the former owner.

The Minister can also determine other reasons for exemption.

An exemption doesn't remove your paperwork obligations. You must keep evidence supporting it, and for the demolition exemption a statutory declaration.

You must declare it in ads and before the lease

Under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997:

• Ads (s 11A): an advertisement for the lease must say whether the premises comply with the minimum housing standards, or that they are exempt. Leaving this out is an offence with a maximum penalty of 5 penalty units.
• False or misleading ads (s 11AA): publishing that statement when it is false or misleading in a material particular is also an offence with a maximum of 5 penalty units.
• Before the agreement (s 12(3)): you must give the tenant a written statement. If the premises must comply, it says whether they do. If they don't, it gives the reason and the proposed compliance date. If they're exempt, it gives the reason for the exemption.

At the penalty unit values in the Act's November 2025 republication ($160 for an individual, $810 for a corporation), 5 penalty units is about $800 for an individual and $4,050 for a corporation. Penalty units are indexed, so check the current value.

You must also keep the evidence: that the premises comply, or that they are exempt (s 19C). If the tenant asks before signing, you must give them a copy of those records (s 12(3)(h)).

If a lessor doesn't make the premises comply, the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) can, on the tenant's application, reduce the rent (s 71AAA), order compensation for loss caused by the non-compliance (s 83(1)(e)), or terminate the agreement (s 46AA).

What records to keep

The Regulation requires you to keep (s 12):

• a quote from an approved installer and a licensed electrician, if the likely cost is more than $10,000;
• the licensed electrician's required electrical work report;
• a certificate of electrical safety, if electrical work was completed;
• evidence supporting any exemption, plus a signed statutory declaration for the demolition exemption.

It's also sensible to keep the installer's receipt showing the R-value installed, the inspection report and any Energy Efficiency Rating report, which the ACT Government lists as evidence of compliance.

Store these with the property, not in an email inbox. You'll need them for every new ad and lease, and if a tenant or the tribunal asks.

Costs and help

Insulation is generally a capital improvement rather than a repair, so talk to your accountant about how to treat it at tax time. Our guide to maintenance vs improvements explains the difference. The ACT Government's insulation page lists any financial help that may be available to landlords; check the current eligibility rules before you rely on it.

Your 30-minute action list

1. Find the signing date of each ACT lease and work out your due date.
2. Check the ceiling insulation R-value (receipt, rating report or an installer inspection).
3. Book a licensed electrician and an approved installer now if you need work done before 30 November.
4. Record any exemption and the reason for it.
5. File the evidence, update your ad wording and the written statement you give before the lease.

Let PropKeeper track the date for you

PropKeeper's compliance checks include the ACT ceiling insulation rule. Add your ACT rental, its lease and its insulation rating, and PropKeeper creates the check with your due date worked out from the lease signing date, including the 9-month and 3-month windows where they apply. Overdue and upcoming checks appear in your critical alerts with email reminders, you can attach the installer's receipt or certificate to the check, and the Compliance & Safety Audit report gives you a one-page record when you need it.

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This article is general information only, not legal, financial or tax advice. Rules can change; confirm your obligations with the ACT Government or a qualified adviser.