What happens to your SDA funding if you move?
By The Find My SDA Team · Published 11 Sep 2026
Short answer
SDA is funded through your NDIS plan, not tied to one address. Your plan sets the design category, building type and location of SDA the NDIA will fund. If you move, choose a home that is already enrolled as SDA by its registered provider, then tell the NDIA your new address and move-in date. The NDIA updates the SDA amount in your plan once you tell it you have moved into an enrolled SDA home.
When you move to a new Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) home, the NDIA updates the SDA amount in your plan once you tell it you have moved into an enrolled SDA home. For a refresher on where the money goes, read how SDA funding works. If you are only switching provider, how to change SDA providers covers notice and agreements.
What your plan says about SDA
The NDIA does not approve SDA for a street address. Your plan sets the design category (how the home is built for your support needs, for example Improved Liveability or High Physical Support), the building type (for example a house or an apartment) and a location. The NDIA generally sets the location based on where you tell it you would like to live.
Before you commit to a home, check it against your plan. The NDIS says the building type and location will usually need to match your plan. Some providers may let you live in a higher design category or building type than your plan funds, and if they do, they may ask for more rent than your reasonable rent contribution covers.
When the funding starts at the new home
A registered SDA provider can only claim SDA funding once the dwelling is enrolled with the NDIA and an eligible participant is living in it. Only a provider registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission for SDA can enrol a dwelling, so you do not enrol the home yourself.
If you have SDA funding in your plan but are not yet living in an enrolled SDA home, the NDIA does not update the SDA amount in your plan until you tell it you have moved into one.
Steps to take when you move
1. Ask the new provider to confirm the home is enrolled as SDA, and check that it matches what your plan funds.
2. Read the service agreement for the new home before you sign. Your reasonable rent contribution should be written into it, or into a separate tenancy agreement.
3. Check your current agreement for how much notice you need to give, and give it in writing.
4. Tell the NDIA your new address and move-in date. You can call 1800 800 110 or fill in the change of details or change of situation form. The NDIS asks you to tell it about a move whether it is down the street or to a new state.
5. SDA providers must tell the NDIA straight away, through the my NDIS provider portal, when a new participant moves in. Find My SDA is a registered SDA provider, and this notice is the provider's job, not yours.
If the new home does not match your plan
If the home is in a different design category, building type or location to the one in your plan, talk to the NDIA before you give notice at your current home. When you want to move into different SDA, the NDIA works with you to decide the design category and building type it will fund. When it decides on a location, it looks at things like your access to community and mainstream services, and staying connected to family and friends.
A smaller change can be made as a plan variation. The NDIA says it will tell you its decision within 21 days of having the information it needs, and send you the varied plan within 7 days if it makes the change.
A bigger change needs a plan reassessment. Only you, your nominee or your child representative can ask for one, on the NDIS reassessment form, with evidence of what has changed. If your request is on the right form and shows a significant and ongoing change, for example in your living arrangements, the law gives the NDIA 90 days from the day it receives it to decide whether to reassess your plan, vary it instead, or leave it as it is. You can still ask for a variation if the change is urgent, minor or short-term.
If you are eligible for SDA, you do not have to prove you still meet the criteria at every plan reassessment.
Moving to another region or state
SDA prices include a location factor, so the amount can differ between areas. Because your plan names a location, tell the NDIA early if you are moving to another region or state, so it can check whether the location and SDA amount in your plan need to change.
Find My SDA works in South Australia. If you are moving into SA, you can browse current SDA vacancies and see each home's design category before you talk to the NDIA.
Getting help with a move
If your plan includes support coordination, your support coordinator can help you find a provider. Improved Living Arrangements funding, if you have it, pays for help to find and keep suitable accommodation, including help to apply for a tenancy.
If the new home's enrolment or your move-in date is delayed, call the NDIA on 1800 800 110 and ask your new provider where the enrolment is up to.
Common questions
Do I lose my SDA funding if I leave my current home?
The NDIA funds SDA through your plan, which names a kind of SDA and a location rather than a single address. Once you tell the NDIA you have moved into an enrolled SDA dwelling, it updates the SDA amount in your plan.
Who do I need to tell before I move?
Tell the NDIA your new SDA address and move-in date, and give notice to your current SDA provider under your agreement. Your new SDA provider also has to tell the NDIA when you move in.
Does my rent contribution change when I move?
The amount is written into your service or tenancy agreement for each home, so read the new one before you sign. If a provider lets you live in a higher design category or building type than your plan funds, they may ask for more rent.
Can I move to any SDA home I like?
The home must be enrolled as SDA, and you should check it against your plan, because the NDIS says the building type and location will usually need to match it. Some providers may let you live in a higher design category or building type than your plan funds, but they may ask for more rent. If the home does not match your plan, talk to the NDIA about a plan change first.
What if I want to move out of SDA?
Talk to the NDIA about other home and living supports. The NDIS says most participants do not need to live in SDA, and it will talk with you about supports that may suit you better, such as assistive technology or home modifications.
Sources
We check the facts in this guide against these official sources before it goes live.
- NDIS Our Guidelines - What kind of SDA will we fund?
- NDIS - SDA design standards
- NDIS Our Guidelines - SDA building types
- NDIS Our Guidelines - Where do you want to live?
- NDIS - What is specialist disability accommodation (SDA)
- NDIS - Specialist disability accommodation (providers)
- NDIS - How to enrol a home as SDA
- NDIS - New SDA prices, further information
- NDIS - Investment in SDA
- NDIS - How to tell us about a change of situation
- NDIS - How to manage SDA vacancies
- NDIS - What is a plan variation
This article is general information only, not advice about your individual situation. The NDIA makes all decisions about your funding and eligibility, and NDIS rules can change. Always confirm your circumstances with the NDIA or your planner before you decide to move.