What the Census says about Cronulla
Mostly apartments
At the 2021 Census, 72.5% of occupied homes in the suburb were flats or apartments. Separate houses made up 20.5%, and townhouses, terraces and semis 6.1%.
Plenty of renters
41.1% of Cronulla homes were rented, well above the NSW figure of 32.6%. Another 33.4% were owned outright.
Sutherland Shire Council
The ABS boundary files place the whole suburb in Sutherland Shire. Across the Shire, 60.8% of homes are separate houses and 24.8% apartments, so Cronulla is far more unit-heavy than its council area.
Shared pipes in a unit block
In an apartment building, the waste pipe under your floor can also carry everything from the units above. Under Sydney Water's rules, a private pipe shared by several Cronulla unit owners is the responsibility of every one of them. If you own in a strata building, ask the strata manager who looks after the pipe before anyone starts work.
Beyond the shared pipes, Sydney Water draws its line at the point of connection. The owners' pipes and fittings run up to it and include it, and Sydney Water owns the junction past that. The connection can sit outside the property boundary, so a blockage under the footpath isn't automatically Sydney Water's.
Renting in Cronulla
With four in ten homes rented, a lot of call-outs here begin with a tenant. Tell your landlord or agent in writing, and if water is spreading, shut it off at the meter or your unit's isolation valve first.
In NSW, swapping an existing hot water system is listed as minor work that doesn't need a Notice of Work lodged before it starts. Ask the plumber what paperwork the owner will get when it's done, and see hot water replacement in Sydney for the choices.
Where to start
Water through the ceiling from the flat upstairs is a job for a leak specialist: see leak detection in Sydney. For a waste line backing up, blocked drains in Sydney explains how Sydney Water's claim rules work. Either way, we'll put you onto a licence-checked plumber who specialises in unit and strata plumbing, and only the plumber who takes your job gets your contact details.
What we would do
If you own a Cronulla unit, find your strata plan or by-laws before the plumber arrives, or ask the strata manager which pipes are common property. Then, if the blockage turns out to be in Sydney Water's pipe, make sure the plumber reports it to Sydney Water while they're on site: any claim for your costs depends on that report, and it covers at most 2 hours of work.