The short answer
Ipswich had the highest share of rented homes of the eleven South East Queensland councils at the 2021 Census — 39.4% — and some of the oldest housing stock, alongside the new estates at Springfield and Ripley. Suburbs along the Bremer and Brisbane rivers flooded badly in 2011 and again in 2022, and many homes there have been repaired at least once.
- separate houses
- 88.7%
- separate houses
- townhouses / semis
- 9.2%
- townhouses / semis
- flats / apartments
- 1.7%
- flats / apartments
- rented
- 39.4%
- rented
Homes repaired after 2011 and 2022
In Goodna, North Ipswich, Bundamba and nearby suburbs, a house may have been stripped and relined twice in eleven years. How well it was dried before the walls were closed up each time is the question an inspection answers. Moisture readings at the bottom plate of the walls, in the slab, and in any timber subfloor, together with a look inside a wall cavity through an existing opening such as a power point, show whether water was left behind.
For buyers, a flood history is not a reason to walk away on its own. Unresolved damp is.
Timber workers’ cottages and high-set houses
Older Ipswich suburbs have small timber cottages and high-set houses, often on stumps, with weatherboards, VJ walls and timber floors. They tend to handle humidity well when the subfloor breathes and the roof is sound. Problems start when the underneath is enclosed, the gutters overflow against the walls, or a bathroom was added on the back without a proper membrane. The subfloor is usually the first place to look.
Rentals and changeovers
With almost four homes in ten rented, mould is a frequent tenancy question here. A moisture record at the start of a lease, and again at vacate, shows whether a problem was there before the tenant moved in. That record is useful for whoever ends up at the RTA or QCAT.
Suburbs and towns in this council area
Ipswich Central · Booval · Bundamba · North Ipswich · Brassall · Raceview · Yamanto · Goodna · Redbank Plains · Springfield Lakes · Ripley · Rosewood
Local questions
Should I get a mould inspection on an Ipswich house that flooded in 2011 or 2022?
If you are buying, it is worth it. The inspection checks whether lower walls, the slab and the subfloor are dry, not just whether the finishes look new.
Do old timber houses get more mould?
Not necessarily. A high-set timber house with good subfloor airflow and a sound roof can stay drier than a newer home. Enclosed subfloors and added-on wet areas are the usual weak points.
References
- [1]Ipswich (LGA33960) — 2021 Census QuickStats — Australian Bureau of Statistics
- [2]Minimum housing standards — Residential Tenancies Authority (Queensland)
- [3]Mould after a disaster fact sheet — Queensland Health
Checked against these references on 2 November 2026.