What makes Dandenong different
Renters are the majority
At the 2021 Census, 52.7% of Dandenong's 9,813 occupied homes were rented. 23.4% were owned with a mortgage and 19.7% outright.
Townhouses and flats
Only 41.4% were separate houses. 39.0% were semi-detached, row or terrace houses or townhouses, and 19.3% were flats or apartments.
A town that became a city
Dandenong kept a country town feel until the early 1950s, when Heinz, International Harvester and General Motors Holden opened factories south-east of town and drew many workers, especially European migrants. The 2007 Revitalising Dandenong programme planned housing for up to 3000 residents on the old livestock market site.
Climate zone 6
The National Construction Code names Dandenong, with Melbourne, in climate zone 6, mild temperate. Expect a long heating season, so judge any reverse cycle unit on its heating as well as its cooling.
What Victoria's rental rules mean in Dandenong
Heating now. A rental needs a fixed heater in good working order in the main living area. For agreements entered from 29 March 2023, it must be an energy efficient one.
Heating from 1 March 2027. A working heater that was in place before then can stay. When the main living area heater permanently fails, its replacement must be electric and efficient: a non-ducted unit rated 2 stars or more for heating, or a ducted system with a Heating Seasonal Performance Factor of 3.2 or above.
Cooling. From 1 March 2027 a fixed efficient cooler is needed when a new agreement starts or a lease goes month-to-month. From 1 July 2030 every rental needs one.
Exemptions. Consumer Affairs Victoria lists centralised building systems, owners corporation rules, heritage laws and not having room for an outdoor compressor among the grounds. In a Dandenong unit block, check the owners corporation rules before you book anyone.
On a hot Dandenong day
The City of Greater Dandenong says you don't need to cool the whole home in high heat. Close windows and doors and use the coolest rooms, with a fan or air conditioner on low speed. It also warns heatwaves can cause power outages, so have a plan that doesn't depend on power.
Licence-checked installers who do this work near Dandenong see your job, and the details go only to the one who takes it. If nobody close to Dandenong takes it within 48 hours, Victorian installers further away may see it too.
What we'd do
How we'd handle a Dandenong rental
If you're the rental provider, don't wait for the old heater to die in July. Get a reverse cycle split quoted for the main living area now, checked against the 2027 ratings, so the heating and cooling standards are covered in one job. If you rent, report a broken heater to your rental provider as soon as it stops.
