Moving into a SIL house is a big step, for the person moving and for the family helping them. Supported independent living (SIL) funds the support in the house, not the house itself, and the paperwork decides a lot about how that home will work: who pays the rent, how support is rostered, what happens when a housemate leaves. This checklist walks through what the NDIS SIL guideline says to look at before you sign, plus the everyday questions families tend to raise. We provide supported independent living in Ipswich, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and these checks apply wherever you’re looking.
SIL in one paragraph
Under the NDIS, SIL is funding for support workers to help with or supervise everyday tasks in your home, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It’s for people who need active support for more than 8 hours a day and some support the rest of the time, including overnight. Support is usually shared with housemates, though individual SIL is possible in some situations. SIL is the support; specialist disability accommodation (SDA) is the housing. The NDIS explains more on its page What is supported independent living (SIL).
Can you have SIL in your own home? SIL is support delivered in your home, and it’s usually funded when you live with other participants and share supports. If you live alone, live with people who aren’t participants, or want to direct and roster your own workers, the NDIS says other home and living supports may suit you better. When you ask for home and living supports, the NDIS asks for recent evidence from a treating health professional, such as an occupational therapist.
Check 1. Who pays for what
In SIL accommodation, your funding covers the support. Your everyday living costs come from your own income. The guideline lists what SIL doesn’t cover:
- rent, board or lodging
- groceries
- utilities, such as gas, electricity, water, phone and internet
- vehicle costs
- household budgeting
- holiday costs.
Some provider costs are already built into the SIL rate, including management, staff training and shadow shifts (when a new worker learns alongside an experienced one). Ask for a written list of everything you’ll pay to the house, so you can see it before you move.
Check 2. The tenancy agreement
The tenancy agreement is about your home. The guideline says it should explain:
- who you’ll live with
- how you’ll get support
- how much your supports cost
- how to change your supports
- who can help you use your rights
- what to do if there’s a problem
- any other house rules.
Sometimes the support provider is also the landlord. If so, read the tenancy agreement and the service agreement side by side, and ask directly: what happens to my housing if I change support provider? Get the answer in writing.
Check 3. The service agreement
The service agreement is about your support. The guideline suggests talking through:
- the ratio, amount and intensity of your supports
- maximum prices
- what you and the provider are each responsible for
- how long the agreement lasts and how it can change
- how disputes are handled
- what happens during holidays
- what happens if there’s a vacancy in the house.
Check 4. Your roster of care
A roster of care sets out the support you get in an ordinary week: hours for day-to-day activities, the ratio of workers to residents, the intensity (standard or high), overnight support, and irregular support, such as a day at home when you’re unwell. It describes your supports; it doesn’t decide them.
You can ask your provider for your roster of care at any time. Minor changes within your funding don’t need NDIA approval.
Check 5. What happens when a housemate moves out
SIL vacancies happen, and it’s worth knowing the rules before they do. The NDIA doesn’t fund vacancies, and your provider shouldn’t raise your SIL cost or claim extra from your plan to cover an empty room. Both your tenancy agreement and your service agreement should say how vacancies are managed, including how a new housemate is found and what say you’ll have.
Check 6. Housemates, routines and house rules
Under the guideline, it’s your choice who you live with and share supports with. Ask to meet the people already living in the house. Then ask how daily life works: wake-up times, meals, visitors, pets, decorating your room, and how your own preferences are written down and respected. A house with rules should still feel like a home.
If any restrictive practice is proposed, such as locked medication, it must be part of a behaviour support plan and follow the NDIS rules. Ask who wrote the plan and when it will be reviewed. Our page on positive behaviour support explains how that work is done.
Check 7. Overnight support and higher needs
There are two kinds of overnight support. Sleepover support is for people who need up to 2 hours of awake support a night. Active overnight support is for people who regularly need more than that.
Most people’s support is standard intensity. High intensity applies when workers need extra skills or qualifications to support you; our page on high intensity daily personal care explains what that can involve. SIL doesn’t include nursing or other health supports, which come through the health system.
Check 8. The provider is registered
SIL must be managed and delivered by a provider registered with the NDIS Commission. Since 1 July 2026, SIL providers must be registered, and SIL practice standards apply. You can look up any provider on the NDIS Commission’s Find a registered provider page.
Questions to ask when you visit
When you visit SIL homes, take this short list with you:
- How is the support team rostered, and when will I meet the workers?
- Who do I talk to if something isn’t right?
- What happens on a day I’m unwell and stay home?
- How do visitors and community outings work?
- How was the roster of care worked out?
- Can I take copies of both agreements home to read?
SIL around Ipswich
Velocity Support Services is a registered NDIS provider based at 273 Brisbane St, Ipswich. We provide supported independent living for NDIS participants across Ipswich, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, in shared or individual living arrangements. Our support covers daily living and personal care, building independence and life skills, and community, social and recreational activities, built around each person’s goals.
If the right home isn’t ready yet, medium term accommodation may be an option while you wait. We’re happy to talk through your SIL options and what matters most to you in a home.
SIL house questions, answered
Who pays the rent in a SIL house?
You do, from your own income. SIL funds the support workers, not the accommodation, so rent, board or lodging, groceries, utilities, vehicle costs and holidays are yours to cover. Ask the provider for a written list of what you’ll pay before you move in.
Can I have SIL in my own home?
SIL is support delivered in your home, and it’s usually funded when you live with other participants and share supports. If you live alone, live with people who aren’t participants, or want to direct your own workers, the NDIS says other home and living supports may suit you better.
Can I choose who I live with in SIL?
Yes. The NDIS SIL guideline says it’s your choice who you live with and share supports with. Ask to meet current housemates before you decide, and check how the provider handles new housemates when a room becomes free.
What is a roster of care?
It’s a document showing the support you get in an ordinary week: hours of help, the ratio of workers to residents, standard or high intensity, overnight support and irregular support. It describes your supports rather than deciding them, and you can ask your provider for it at any time.
What happens to my SIL funding if a housemate moves out?
The NDIA doesn’t fund vacancies. Your provider shouldn’t increase your SIL cost or claim extra from your plan to cover an empty room. Your tenancy and service agreements should explain how vacancies are managed and how a new housemate is found.
Does my SIL provider have to be registered?
Yes. SIL must be managed and delivered by a provider registered with the NDIS Commission, and since 1 July 2026 all SIL providers have had to be registered. You can check a provider’s registration on the NDIS Commission website.
Talk to us about SIL
Choosing a SIL house is about the home and the people as much as the support. If you’d like to talk through SIL options around Ipswich, call 1300 479 764 or contact our team. Bring your questions, and we’ll answer them plainly.
