Toowong's homes
An apartment suburb
67.9% flats or apartments, 28.5% separate houses and 2.5% townhouses at the 2021 Census.
Renters and empty units
54.8% of homes were rented, and 10.1% of private dwellings were empty on census night.
Queenslanders on the slopes
The western side, towards Mount Coot-tha, mixes medium density with detached Queenslander houses on rolling hills.
An early suburb
The railway arrived in 1875 and a tram ran along Milton Road from 1903. Toowong joined the City of Brisbane in 1925.
In an apartment, who looks after what?
Inside your unit, the lights, power points and the unit's own board generally sit with the owner. The main switchboard, common lighting and cabling between floors are normally common property, looked after by the body corporate.
Renting? Your landlord arranges electrical repairs and smoke alarms. The Residential Tenancies Authority says landlords can't pass smoke alarm duties to tenants, though you still test and clean each alarm at least once every 12 months.
Want a charger in your car space? It nearly always means cabling across common property, so the body corporate has to agree first. An electrician who has done apartment chargers can explain to the committee what's involved.
In an older house
Brisbane's planning scheme protects houses substantially built in 1946 or earlier through its character overlay, so many old Queenslanders get renovated rather than replaced. A renovation is the natural time to retire old wiring and fuse boards.
Much of that work happens in the roof. Queensland rules say a business must switch off the power before its workers go into the roof space, where that is reasonably practicable, so plan for some time without power.
Our take for Toowong
In a unit, read the by-laws and talk to the body corporate before booking anything that touches shared wiring. It saves an electrician turning up to a job they can't start.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.