St Kilda facts that change the job
Mostly apartments
At the 2021 Census, 79.0% of occupied homes in the suburb of St Kilda were flats or apartments, against 12.1% across Victoria. Only 5.5% were separate houses.
Six in ten rent
60.4% of those homes were rented, more than double Victoria's 28.5%.
Shared pipes are private
South East Water supplies St Kilda. Pipes shared by the homes in an owners' corporation are private, and it says they aren't its responsibility.
Roots and pipes
The City of Port Phillip's draft plan for greening St Kilda and St Kilda West says tree roots compete for space with water pipes and stormwater drains.
Renting: what counts as urgent
Victoria's urgent repairs list includes a burst water service, a blocked or broken toilet system, a gas leak, a hot water service that isn't working, and a fitting that wastes a lot of water. Rental providers must make urgent repairs immediately.
If yours doesn't respond, you can arrange an urgent repair costing up to $2,500 yourself, and the rental provider must pay you back within 7 days. Work that needs a licence must be done by a qualified person. Emergency plumbers in Melbourne explains what to do first.
Hot water in a rented apartment
From 1 March 2027, when a rental's hot water system permanently fails and can't be repaired, Victoria's rental standard calls for an efficient heat pump water heater or an electric-boosted solar water heater. Exemptions include centralised building systems, which Consumer Affairs Victoria says are common in apartments, and owners corporation restrictions. Our Melbourne hot water page has the detail.
Shared pipes and wet weather
In a block, a combined drain serving several homes is privately owned. South East Water's sewer responsibility stops at the inspection opening, and the shared private pipes on the building's side aren't its job. Report a leak or blockage in common areas to the owners corporation or building manager first.
Council's draft plan also notes that some lower-lying land near the coast in Port Phillip is prone to coastal flooding, which can combine with drains flooding in heavy rain. Keep balcony outlets and courtyard grates clear.
What we would do
Work out who is responsible for the pipe before you ring anyone. In a St Kilda apartment, pipes shared by the block are private, yet not yours alone, so check with the owners corporation or your rental provider who looks after them. Once that's clear, send us the job and a licence-checked plumber can be matched to it.