Part 3: Other Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Related Expenses
What other things do I have to pay for in SDA?
When you live in your own SDA home, there are other things you have to pay for on top of the rent you pay to your SDA landlord.
Some of these things you only have to pay for once (or not very often) – these are called one-off living expenses. Other things you will have to keep paying for – these are called ongoing expenses.
One-off expenses may include:
- Furniture (if the home isn’t furnished) – bed, table, chairs, couch
- Appliances – TV, fridge, washing machine, dryer, kettle
- Some furnishings – pillows, blankets, towels, art
- Things you use – knives, forks, spoons, plates, bowls
- Assistive technology (AT) and home adaptations – any AT and home adaptations you need should be funded separately in your NDIS Plan
Ongoing costs when you live in SDA may include:
- Utilities – electricity, gas, water, phone, internet
- Groceries – food, drinks, sauces, laundry detergent, soap, tissues, hygiene products
- Medicines
- Transport
- Your support – the support you need to live in SDA should be funded separately in your NDIS Plan. Even if your support is provided by the same company that is your SDA landlord, you should make sure you have a support agreement that is separate to your tenancy agreement.
More information
- Living with other people in SDA
- Tenancy Agreements in SDA
- SDA pricing and payments - NDIS SDA Price Calculator: the ‘NDIS SDA Price Calculator’ is a spreadsheet that you can download from this page. It includes a tab – called ‘MRRC’ – that shows the calculations for the maximum rent you can be asked to pay in SDA (known as the Maximum Reasonable Rent Contribution, or MMRC), as well as the calculations for the maximum Board amount. Please note that these numbers aren’t always updated each time the DSP and CRA change.
- Renters rights: Your rights as a tenant in SDA are covered by the residential tenancy legislation in your state or territory
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Northern Territory
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
- Western Australia
- State-by-state list of tenancy laws and who to go to for info
- NDIS Information on SDA rent and board
- Assistive technology (AT) and home adaptations in SDA
Support to pay your utilities bills:
If you get a DSP, you may be able to get support to pay for your electricity, gas, water, phone and internet.
- You may be eligible for a Telephone Allowance to help pay for your phone and internet
- If you are younger than 22 years old and don’t have kids, you will get a Utilities Allowance. If you are older than 22, you may be able to get an Energy Supplement (for electricity and gas)
In most states and territories, you pay less for your water.
Read these two other related pages to gain a deeper understanding of Reasonable Rent Contributions:
Part 1: How Rent Works in Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)