Rockdale at a glance
An apartment suburb
Only 24.3% of Rockdale homes were separate houses in 2021, and 4.0% townhouses or semis. The rest were almost all flats and apartments.
Close to half rented
47.0% of homes were rented, 27.4% owned with a mortgage and 22.3% owned outright. If you rent, any new unit is the owner's decision.
Built along the railway
Rockdale, 13 km south of the CBD, began to fill with homes after the railway opened in 1884. It's now one of Bayside Council's administrative centres, mixing homes, shops and light industry.
Heritage-listed sites
Rockdale railway station, Lydham Hall and Wilsons Farm House are among the suburb's heritage-listed places. If your home is listed, ask Bayside Council before work on the outside.
In an apartment block
NSW strata rules treat a new reverse cycle air conditioner as a minor renovation. The owners corporation approves it by a majority of the votes cast at a strata meeting, or the committee can, if a by-law allows. Work that alters the outside of the building is a major renovation, which takes a special resolution, so where the outdoor unit goes can change the process.
Noise matters when the neighbours are a wall away. NSW's Noise Control Regulation 2026 restricts the hours a home air conditioner can run if it's heard inside another home, though the EPA says the 2026 changes exempt air conditioners during severe or extreme heatwaves. Our noise and neighbours guide has more.
In an older house
Mitsubishi Electric says an air conditioner needs a dedicated power supply and correct earthing. In an older home, the installer should check the switchboard has room for a new circuit, and a licensed electrician does that work. See electrical work for air conditioning.
What we'd do
Our take for Rockdale
In a unit, we'd ask the strata manager what the by-laws allow before anyone quotes, then choose an inverter split sized for the room and put the outdoor unit where it bothers no one. In a house, we'd have the switchboard checked at the quote. We'd want an installer who does apartment splits week in, week out. Licence-checked local installers who do this kind of job will see what you send us, and only the one who takes it gets your details. If nobody near Rockdale takes it within 48 hours, it may be seen by installers in other parts of New South Wales.
