CONDITION OF DWELLING

In 2013–14, most Australian dwellings were reported to be in good condition with 85% of households reporting no major structural problems. For those with problems, cracks in walls or floors were the most often reported (by 6% of all households). Other problems were sinking or moving foundations (4%), walls or windows being out of plumb (3%) and major plumbing problems (3%).

As shown in Graph 1, the condition of dwellings varied across tenure and landlord types, with major structural problems of all kinds being most frequently reported by renters from state and territory housing authorities (32%) and private landlords (18%). In comparison, 11% of home owners reported a major structural problem.



In 2013–14, 55% of households reported that repairs or maintenance had been carried out on their current dwelling within the last twelve months. The most commonly reported types of repair or maintenance were plumbing (29%), painting (25%), electrical work (19%), and roof repair and maintenance (13%).