Kensington, WA 6151Home loan and property guide

Kensington location and character

Kensington sits three kilometres from Perth's central business district, spanning 2.5 square kilometres and bounded by Canning Highway to the west, Berwick Street to the north, Kent Street to the east and Hayman Road with South Terrace to the south.

The suburb was named after the Kensington Park racecourse which, in turn, was most likely named after the prestigious London suburb of Kensington. That racecourse origin is worth knowing when researching older records for the area.

The area falls under two local authorities: the City of South Perth and the Town of Victoria Park. For a compact inner suburb, that split is the most practically significant local fact for anyone dealing with a council.

Transport and amenity in Kensington

There is no railway station in Kensington. Four bus routes provide access: route 33 from Curtin Central to Elizabeth Quay, route 34 from Cannington station to Perth Busport, route 284 from Curtin University to Belmont Forum, and the high-frequency route 960 to Mirrabooka.

By road, Canning Highway forms the western boundary and provides the principal route between the city and Fremantle, while Kent Street runs along the east. At three kilometres from the centre, road journeys are short and cycling is practical for many residents.

Kensington Primary School and Kent Street Senior High School at 74 Rathay Street serve the community, and the Kensington Bushland Reserve is a significant local asset. Curtin University lies a short distance south-east. This guide does not describe school catchments, which the Department of Education can confirm.

Housing stock in Kensington

Kensington is unusually house-dominated for a suburb three kilometres from the centre of Perth. Detached housing across a range of eras makes up more than four-fifths of the occupied stock, with a modest townhouse component and very few apartments.

At the 2021 Census, 1,337 of the 1,632 occupied private dwellings were separate houses, 203 were semi-detached or townhouse dwellings and 95 were flats or apartments, so houses made up 81.9 per cent of occupied homes against 72.3 per cent nationally. Three-bedroom homes numbered 654 and four-bedroom homes 480, with 114 having five or more.

The Census also recorded 152 unoccupied private dwellings out of 1,784 on Census night. Inspections vary with era. Older housing raises roof condition, cracking associated with ground movement, original wiring and plumbing and asbestos-containing materials, while rebuilt homes raise the approval status and workmanship of the build.

Who lives and buys in Kensington

The 2021 Census counted 4,627 residents in Kensington, with a median age of 38, matching the national figure, and an average household size of 2.6 people compared with 2.5 nationally. Adults aged 45 to 54 were the largest group at 735, followed by 674 children aged 5 to 14, 646 adults aged 35 to 44 and 565 aged 25 to 34, a family profile.

Mortgaged ownership leads. The Census recorded 664 dwellings owned with a mortgage, 470 owned outright and 446 rented, so 41.0 per cent of households with a stated tenure held a mortgage, 29.0 per cent owned outright and 27.5 per cent rented, against 35.0, 31.0 and 30.6 per cent nationally.

Median weekly household income was $2,496 against $1,746, median monthly mortgage repayments were $2,600 against $1,863 and median weekly rent was $375, exactly the national figure. For a buyer, this is an inner family market where a detached house close to the city is the mainstream product.

The council split and planning in Kensington

Kensington falls under two local authorities, the City of South Perth and the Town of Victoria Park, so two local planning schemes apply within one suburb name. Rates, approvals, local policies and contacts all differ depending on which authority covers a particular address.

Anyone planning an alteration, an addition or a subdivision should establish which council applies before making enquiries or lodging anything. It is also worth noting when comparing sales, because two properties described as Kensington may sit under different planning controls.

Canning Highway on the western boundary carries substantial traffic as the principal route between the city and Fremantle, so properties fronting or near it differ in amenity from interior streets, and a valuer commonly notes that distinction. The Kensington Bushland Reserve provides local open space.

Buying in Kensington under Western Australian contract law

Established houses in Western Australia are normally sold by offer and acceptance. Consumer Protection WA explains that the signed form becomes a binding contract once the seller accepts, and that there is no mandatory cooling-off period, so conditions for finance approval and for building and timber pest inspections need to be written into the offer.

There is no mandatory seller disclosure statement in Western Australia. For a house with additions, Consumer Protection WA suggests checking whether work done in the past ten years had council approval, which in this suburb means first establishing which council. Transfer duty is assessed by RevenueWA.

Home loan considerations for Kensington property

Detached houses on standard lots are the most widely accepted security. The suburb is small at 1,632 occupied dwellings, so comparable sales evidence is limited in any period, and a valuer may look to South Perth, Como and Victoria Park.

Kensington also shares postcode 6151 with South Perth. Where a lender or insurer applies a policy based on postcode rather than suburb, it may be prudent to confirm how Kensington specifically is treated, since the two suburbs differ substantially in housing profile and price.

With median monthly mortgage repayments of $2,600 against $1,863 nationally, serviceability rather than deposit is usually the binding constraint here, and the very small apartment component of 95 dwellings means attached stock has thin local comparable evidence.

Lending considerations for Kensington

• Two councils apply within the one suburb, the City of South Perth and the Town of Victoria Park.
• Kensington shares postcode 6151 with South Perth, which differs in housing profile and price.
• At 1,632 occupied dwellings, comparable sales evidence is limited for valuation.
• Median monthly mortgage repayments of $2,600 mean serviceability binds before deposit.
• Canning Highway on the western boundary carries substantial traffic.

Lender policy differs between institutions and changes over time. The guide to Australian lenders explains how credit policy varies, and the home loan guide sets out the main loan structures.