You can enter into an agreement with your specialist disability accommodation (SDA) provider. If you cannot sign or understand the agreement by yourself, an agreement can still be established.
Entering into an SDA residency agreement
You can enter into this type of agreement if you:
- understand the agreement and its information statement, and
- can sign the agreement.
The steps for this are:
- Your provider gives you a copy of the agreement and its information statement.
- Your provider explains the agreement and its information statement to you. They must explain all your rights and duties in a way that you understand. Your support person can also help you understand the information. If you do not have one, your provider can ask someone to support you. The support person cannot work for your provider.
- You and your provider sign the agreement. There must be at least seven days between when your provider gave you the agreement and when you sign it.
Establishing an SDA residency agreement
An SDA agreement can be established if you:
- need a support person to help you understand the agreement and its information statement, and
- cannot sign the agreement because of your disability.
The steps for this are:
- Your provider gives your support person the agreement and its information statement.
- Your provider explains the agreement and its information statement to your support person. Your support person then explains it to you.
- Your provider signs the agreement. There must be at least seven days between when your provider gave the agreement and when they sign it.
Entering into a residential tenancy agreement
People across Victoria use this agreement to rent standard homes.
There are two types of residential rental agreements:
- a short-term agreement of five years or less.
- a long-term agreement of more than five years.
For more information, view Residential rental agreements.
You can enter into this type of agreement if you:
- understand the agreement and its information statement, and
- can sign the agreement.
The steps for this are:
- Your provider gives you the agreement and its information statement.
- Your provider explains the agreement and its information statement. They must explain all your rights and duties in a way that you understand. Your support person can also help you understand the information. If you do not have one, your provider can ask someone to support you. The support person cannot work for your provider.
- You and your provider sign the agreement. There must be at least seven days between when your provider gave you the agreement and when you sign it.
- Your provider gives you a copy of the signed agreement within 14 days of signing.
- Your provider gives you a copy of our Renters guide on the day you move into the home, or before. This guide has renting information for the beginning, middle and end of a rental agreement.
If you have signed a residential rental agreement and your SDA provider does not give you the required information statement, you can end the agreement.
Additional terms
Your provider must use the SDA and residential rental agreements from our website. To download the agreements, view Resources for residents.
Your provider cannot create their own agreement, but they can include extra terms as long as these terms do not take away any of your rights under the law. If it does, then the term is invalid.