Stafford's housing mix
Almost half rented
At the 2021 Census, 48.6% of the suburb's occupied homes were rented, against 33.1% across Queensland. Only 18.7% were owned outright.
A quarter are units
24.2% were flats or apartments, 66.6% separate houses and 8.9% townhouses or semis.
Smaller homes
29.9% had 2 bedrooms and 39.1% had 3. Just 20.4% had 4 or more.
Renting: who does what
Tenants report a plumbing fault to the property manager or landlord, who arranges the repair. If sewage overflows indoors, Urban Utilities tells renters to call them straight away, while owners should ring their insurer. Urban Utilities can't come inside a home or disinfect it.
For landlords, a leak on the property side of the meter is the owner's to fix, and every litre through the meter is billed to the owner. If a concealed leak is repaired within a month of being found, Urban Utilities' financial assistance may ease the bill. Landlords can apply, with a licensed plumber's invoice that shows the repair.
Units and shared meters
In a unit or townhouse complex, the meter may sit beside each unit or in a central meter cabinet. Where a complex runs on one main meter, the body corporate, not each owner, applies for concealed leak assistance.
The Queensland Government's SEQ Bulk Water Concealed Leak Remission Scheme can also cut 70% of the State Bulk Water Charge part of a concealed leak's cost, or 100% for eligible pensioners.
Urban Utilities' hidden leak test
Turn off every tap
Write down the numbers on the meter.
Use no water for an hour
Not even a toilet flush. Then read the meter again: higher numbers or moving dials may mean a leak.
Look outside
Wet patches, unusually green grass or cracked pavers can show where it is. A leak detection specialist can pinpoint the rest.
What we would do
If you rent, tell the property manager straight away and send photos. If you own, act on a jump in the water bill: run the one-hour meter test, have any leak repaired by a licensed plumber within the month, and keep that invoice, because the assistance claim depends on it.
Stafford specialists and nearby suburbs
We match leak detection, blocked drains, hot water repairs and emergency plumbing with a licence-checked plumber who does that work. Neighbouring pages cover Everton Park, Kedron and Chermside.