Northern beaches and rural north: Townsville suburbs we manage in

North of Deeragun, the Bruce Highway runs past a string of beachside and semi-rural communities. Bluewater, Bluewater Park, Black River, Yabulu, Saunders Beach and Balgal Beach are the main ones, with the smaller settlements of Toolakea, Toomulla, Rollingstone and Mutarnee further north.

Rentals here are mostly houses on bigger blocks, from beach shacks to modern acreage homes. Tenants are usually after lifestyle and space: families, retirees, people who fish or boat, and workers who don’t mind a longer commute. Because far fewer homes are rented here than in the suburbs, the RTA often has too few bonds to publish a median rent. That makes local knowledge especially important when setting the rent.

Coastal properties can sit in storm tide zones, and some rural blocks rely on tank water, septic systems or bores. These need regular maintenance and should be covered in the lease. Insurance cover for cyclone and flood deserves particular attention this far out.