Paddington facts
Houses, units and renters
At the 2021 Census, 66.2% of occupied homes in the suburb were separate houses and 21.7% flats or apartments. 42.8% were rented.
Character rules
Council's character properties are mainly buildings from before the end of 1946, with special considerations for those built before 1911. City Plan overlays show which apply to your block.
Some of Brisbane's oldest homes
The Rosalie Heritage Trail runs past Paddington addresses on Nash, Elizabeth and Bayswater Streets and Baroona Road. Its stops include timber cottages from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
A flood history
Council's trail says Rosalie has always been susceptible to flooding, from its worst recorded flood in 1893 to Baroona Road under water in 2011. Gregory Park was once Red Jacket Swamp.
Older houses, older plumbing layouts
Urban Utilities says homes built before 1976 may have no overflow relief gully unless they've been renovated; some have a disconnector gully or a vent instead. The gully lets a blocked sewer spill in the yard rather than inside. Fitting or altering one is for a licensed plumber, and the rules set it at least 150 mm below the lowest inside drain and 75 mm above the ground.
Not sure where the drains run under an old house? Brisbane City Council sells copies of house drainage plans showing the in-ground pipes to the sewer. They don't show water or stormwater pipes.
Renovating a character house
Check City Plan's overlays before designing a new bathroom or kitchen. New fixtures in a renovation are notifiable work: a licensed plumber installs them and reports them to the QBCC on a Form 4.
If part of the building comes down and the sanitary drain has to be capped, Council may need to approve that plumbing too.
Low ground and stormwater
Search your address on Council's Flood Awareness Map and download the FloodWise Property Report, which compares the January 2011 and February 2022 flood levels where available. Overland flow shows as a development flag rather than on the report's map.
Your gutters, downpipes and the stormwater pipe to the point of discharge are yours to keep clear; Council handles drains beyond the boundary. See stormwater, blocked drains, pipe relining and hot water.
What we would do
In an older Paddington house, find out what you have before something blocks. Is there an overflow gully near the laundry, and where does the drain run? A drainage plan from Council answers the second question. If there's no gully, ask a plumber whether adding one makes sense during your next renovation, and choose one used to older houses and City Plan's character rules.