Stafford's homes, by the numbers
Renting is the norm
48.6% of occupied homes were rented at the 2021 Census, against 38.3% across the Brisbane council area.
Houses and units
66.6% of homes were separate houses and 24.2% flats or apartments, so body corporate approval comes up often.
Along Kedron Brook
Stafford lies west of Lutwyche Road on the banks of Kedron Brook, with Sparkes Hill rising 96 metres in the south-west. Council says living in low-lying land near a creek raises your flood risk.
An older northside suburb
First called Happy Valley, Stafford had estate lots such as Gourock Estate auctioned in 1928, and electric trams ran here from 1940 to 1968.
Gas from AGN
Australian Gas Networks supplies Brisbane's northern suburbs, though the Queensland Government says not every area has a network.
Renting in Stafford: getting air conditioning
Check what's included
If the place came with air conditioning and it's not working, report it. The owner has to keep it in a good state of repair and arrange a licensed contractor.
Ask before adding one
The RTA treats an air conditioner as a fixture, so you need written approval before it's attached. Doing it without approval is a breach of the agreement.
Allow 28 days
The owner must reply in writing within 28 days. A no, or no reply at all, means you don't have permission to go ahead.
Agree the details
Conditions might cover professional installation and whether you can take the unit with you when you leave.
If you own in Stafford
In a house, a split system in each room you use is the simplest route, and ducted suits a bigger home with roof space. In a unit, read our apartments and strata page before booking anyone, because the outdoor unit and pipes may need to go on common property.
What we'd do
Our take for Stafford
Renters: put the request in writing, say which unit and where it would go, and offer professional installation up front. Owners near the brook: keep the outdoor unit high and out of the lowest corner. Either way, send us the job. Licence-checked installers who do that kind of work see it where we have them, and only the one who takes it gets your contact details. If no installer near Stafford takes it within 48 hours, installers further afield in Queensland may see it too.
