Dandenong homes, by the numbers and the history
Mostly rented, often shared
At the 2021 Census, 52.7% of occupied homes in Dandenong were rented. Just 41.4% were separate houses, while 39.0% were semi-detached houses, townhouses or terraces and 19.3% were flats or apartments. Two-bedroom homes were the most common, at 42.4%.
Built for the factory boom
International Harvester (1952) and General Motors Holden (1956) set up on the flat land south-east of town alongside Heinz, and the jobs drew many European migrants. The Housing Commission built the new suburb of Doveton to house the overflow.
A creek town on low ground
Dandenong grew up between Dandenong Creek, Eumemmering Creek and the old Carrum and Koo-Wee-Rup swamps, and floods regularly hit the early township. Melbourne's heavy showers also tend to fall in narrow bands over the same south-eastern suburbs, which is hard on gutters that can't keep up.
Newer homes on old sites
Prices flattened in the 1990s, and the 2007 Revitalising Dandenong plan proposed homes for up to 3000 residents on the old livestock market site. Many medium-density blocks drain through box gutters tucked behind walls or parapets, and those outlets need to stay clear.
A heritage core
The historic precinct between McCrae and Langhorne Streets is centred on heritage-listed buildings. If you own an older place near it, ask Greater Dandenong council before changing what the roof looks like.
Who arranges the repair?
You rent. Tell your landlord or agent in writing, with photos of the stain or drip and the date it started, and keep a copy. Don't book a roofer yourself until you've checked who's paying.
You own a unit or townhouse. The roof may be common property looked after by an owners corporation, especially where one roof covers several homes. Check your plan of subdivision or ask the manager before you book work.
You own a house. Then it's yours. On Dandenong houses the usual calls are leaks after heavy showers, blocked or undersized gutters, and ridge mortar that needs rebedding and repointing. See roof leak repair in Melbourne.
What you can do, and what needs a roofer
You can
- Photograph stains and drips and note when they appear
- Keep downpipe outlets and drains at ground level clear
- Put the problem to your landlord, agent or owners corporation in writing
Leave to a roofer
- Anything at height, including gutters on two-storey townhouses
- Box gutters, parapets and flat roof sections
- Eaves, sheeting or gutters on an older home that might be asbestos cement
Where we'd start in Dandenong
Sort out who's responsible before anyone climbs a ladder. If it's yours, stop the leak first and leave cosmetic work for later. In a unit block, we'd rather see one roofer look at the whole roof for the owners corporation than each owner patching their own section.
Want a roofer to take a look?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.
