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The information on this page is for the support people of specialist disability accommodation (SDA) residents. You can find information for SDA providers and SDA residents.
As a support person, you can help the resident understand their rights and responsibilities in SDA.
Role of a support person
A support person can be anyone chosen by an SDA resident to help them understand their renting rights and responsibilities in an SDA residency.
A support person can be a family member, trusted friend, advocate, carer, guardian or daily independent living support provider. Daily independent living support providers support SDA residents with daily tasks and help them develop their skills to live as independently as possible.
Providers must appoint a support person for the resident if
- the resident does not have a support person
- their disability prevents them from understanding the agreement, information statement, or their rights and responsibilities.
Providers cannot choose a support person who works for them.
For information to help families and carers of SDA residents, visit For families and carers - NDIS.
Changes to the law
The Disability and Social Services Regulation Amendment Act 2023 changes the Disability Act 2006, Residential Tenancies Act 1997 and other Acts to strengthen rights for people with disability in Victoria.
The Amendment Act became law on 23 May 2023.
The changes to the Residential Tenancies Act started on 1 July 2024. From this date, the Residential Tenancies Act regulates all SDA agreements. SDA providers must follow the rules and duties in the Residential Tenancies Act.
What are the changes
The changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will:
- change the meaning of ‘SDA provider’ to include more disability accommodation and support providers
- change the meaning of ‘SDA resident’ to include more people with disability
- create a new ‘SDA dwelling’ term to include more disability accommodation and support arrangements in Part 12A of the Residential Tenancies Act.
What the changes mean for people with disability
The changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will:
- give more people with disability more residential rights and protections
- offer people living in specialist disability accommodation a choice about the type of residential agreement
- mean more people living in specialist disability accommodation can be visited by Community Visitors.
To find out more about how the changes affect your resident’s accommodation, visit Changes to the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 - Department of Families, Fairness and Housing website.
Residential agreements
There are 3 types of residential agreements available for SDA. Residents and providers must:
Information statements
Each type of agreement has a matching information statement that explains it and outlines both the provider’s and resident’s rights and responsibilities.
The provider must give the resident an agreement and its information statement at the same time. If the resident was not given the information statement, they can end a signed agreement.
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What are the main differences between the types of agreements?
There are some differences between an SDA residency agreement and the Residential rental agreements. Find more information about the main differences between the types of agreements.
Starting an SDA agreement or Residential rental agreement
Providers and residents can enter into or establish an agreement. They can 'enter into' the agreement if the resident can:
- understand the agreement without a support person, and
- sign it themselves.
An agreement can be 'established' if the resident:
- needs a support person to help them understand the agreement, and
- is unable to sign it due to their disability.
Providers must follow the steps for establishing an agreement. Find more information about starting an agreement with your provider.
Rental payments in SDA
Providers and residents can agree that the resident pays the rent weekly, fortnightly or monthly. They must write this in the agreement. For more information, including reasonable rent contribution (RRC), go to Paying rent in SDA.