The information on this page applies to SDA providers. If you are a resident, view
Paying rent in SDA.
On this page:
Rent payments
You and the resident can agree in the residency or rental agreement for the rent to be paid weekly, fortnightly or monthly.
Residents can choose to pay their rent by a fee-free method and have the option of paying rent by Centrepay, unless the provider is the Homes Victoria, or the Homes Victoria's agent.
An SDA provider or that person's agent must ensure that a rent payment method that incurs no additional costs (other than bank fees or account fees payable on the SDA resident's bank account) is reasonably available to the SDA resident.
An SDA provider or that person's agent must not require an SDA resident to pay rent by a cheque or other negotiable instrument that is post-dated. Penalty: 60 penalty units.
Before they choose a certain payment method, you must tell them about any fees they may incur by using that method.
Residents can ask for a receipt when they pay the rent. If they pay you directly, you must give the resident a receipt straight away.
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Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) residency agreement
You can only ask residents to pay up to 30 days’ rent in advance.
Residential rental agreement (short-term and long-term)
If the resident pays rent weekly, you cannot ask for more than 14 days’ rent in advance. If the resident pays fortnightly or monthly, you can only ask for one month’s rent in advance, unless the weekly rent is more than $900.
For more information, view Paying rent and rent in advance.
Reasonable rent contribution
The NDIS (Specialist Disability Accommodation) Rules 2016 say you can receive reasonable rent contribution (RRC) from residents. This applies to SDA residency and Residential rental agreements.
If a resident receives the disability support pension, their RRC cannot exceed:
- 25 per cent of the basic rate of the disability support pension
- plus 25 per cent of any pension supplement they receive
- plus 25 per cent of any youth disability supplement they receive
- plus all Commonwealth rent assistance they receive.
If a resident does not receive the disability support pension, their RRC cannot exceed:
- 25 per cent of the basic rate of the disability support pension
- plus all Commonwealth rent assistance they receive.
Rent increases
SDA residency agreement
There is no prescribed or approved form for notices of rent increase where an SDA residency agreement is in place.
The law says for a notice of rent increase to be valid:
- residents, and their guardian or administrator (if they have one), must be given at least 60 days’ notice of any rent increase, and
- the notice must include:
- the amount of the rent increase, and
- the method by which the rent increase was calculated, and
- a statement informing residents of their right to ask us, if they think the rent is too high, to investigate and report on the proposed rent. The resident can only ask for a rent assessment within 30 days of getting the notice of rent increase, and
- you must not increase the rent more than once every 6 months.
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Residential rental agreements
In most cases, you cannot increase the rent more than once every 12 months.
You must give the resident at least 60 days' notice in writing.
Download and use our:
For more information, view Rent increases.
What if the rent is too high?
When you increase the rent, the resident can ask us to investigate if they think the rent increase is too high. We will give the resident a report of our findings. They can use this report to apply to VCAT for a decision. The resident can only ask for a rent assessment within 30 days of getting the notice of rent increase.
While VCAT decides the matter, the resident must pay the lesser amount of either the:
- rent increase amount, or
- previous rent amount plus ten percent.
For more information, view Challenging a rent increase.
Rent arrears
If a resident does not pay their rent on time, they are considered to be 'in arrears'. If a resident is more than 14 days' in arrears, you can give them a Notice to vacate.
If you have an SDA residency agreement, see Notice to vacate on Notices to end an SDA residency.
If you and the resident signed a Residential rental agreement, view Late or unpaid rent.