Why don’t small-scale private landlords retrofit? A conceptual model for understanding and influencing landlords’ energy efficiency behaviour in Victoria, Australia

The thesis examines a broad range of potential influences on landlords’ energy efficiency retrofitting. It presents a conceptual model of landlords’ energy efficiency behaviour based on a systematic review of the literature. The model is then empirically tested in the Victorian context using a survey of 500 landlords and 20 follow-up interviews. The results show that landlords’ retrofit activity is generally restricted to one-off, minor installations prompted by subsidies, tenant requests or appliance breakdowns. The findings of this thesis highlight the importance of non-economic influences on landlords’ energy efficiency retrofit behaviour, particularly tenant-related influences.