Who is responsible for repairs and maintenance in an SDA property?
By The Find My SDA Team · Reviewed by Bhav Singh, Licensed Estate Agent · Published 01 Oct 2026
Short answer
Under the SDA Rules, the registered SDA provider must keep an enrolled dwelling in a good state of repair. If you own the property but aren't the provider, you must have an agreement with a registered SDA provider, and in our experience that agreement is where repair arrangements are set out. State tenancy law also applies, and the NDIA does not manage repairs itself.
If you own a property that's leased out as Specialist Disability Accommodation, it's a fair question to ask who turns up when something breaks. An SDA home involves you as the owner, the registered SDA provider, the participant who lives there, and the NDIA that funds their SDA support. This guide sets out who does what when a repair or maintenance job comes up. If you're still weighing up whether SDA is the right investment, our guides on SDA investment in South Australia and is SDA a good investment cover the basics. For how the day-to-day running of the property fits together, see our guide on SDA property management for landlords.
The SDA provider carries the legal duty to keep the home in good repair
Under the NDIS (Specialist Disability Accommodation) Rules 2020, an SDA provider must ensure that each dwelling it has enrolled is in a good state of repair and is being appropriately maintained.
This legal duty sits with the registered SDA provider, not automatically with whoever owns the building. If you're the SDA provider as well as the owner, that duty is yours directly.
If you own the property but aren't the SDA provider
An SDA property can be owned by an investor who isn't the registered SDA provider. As an SDA investor, you must either be an SDA registered provider or enter into an agreement with an SDA registered provider.
In our experience, that agreement is where owners and providers set out who arranges and pays for repairs day to day, even though the legal duty to keep the home in good repair sits with the provider.
Tenancy law still applies
Tenancy agreements for an SDA home must meet the requirements of relevant state and territory tenancy legislation.
SDA providers must also meet the NDIS Practice Standards, which include quality standards for tenancy management. Notice periods and the right of entry to carry out repairs are set by state tenancy law, not by the NDIS.
The NDIA doesn't get involved in maintenance
The NDIA is not legally responsible for the construction, maintenance or tenancy of SDA dwellings. It is also not involved with day-to-day management of SDA dwellings.
The NDIA's role is to fund the participant's SDA support and decide whether a dwelling is enrolled.
Agree who arranges tradespeople before you lease your property
Because the legal duty to maintain the home sits with the SDA provider, it's worth agreeing in writing, in your agreement with the provider, who actually arranges tradespeople, who approves the cost of a job, and who pays the invoice.
In our experience, owners usually choose one of two set-ups: handling repairs themselves through their own property manager, or leaving the SDA provider to coordinate repairs and invoice the owner. Either way, put it in writing so there's no confusion when something breaks.
The SDA Design Standard is about new builds, not repairs
The SDA Design Standard only comes into play when a newly built home is being enrolled as SDA. All enrolment applications for newly built SDA must have SDA design standard certification, done at two stages: at design, before construction starts, and again at final as-built completion.
In our experience, if a feature like a ceiling hoist or an accessible bathroom breaks down in a home that's already enrolled, that's a normal maintenance job to arrange under the provider agreement. It isn't a design standard question to raise with the NDIA.
Common questions
Who pays for repairs in an SDA property?
The registered SDA provider has the legal duty to keep an enrolled dwelling in good repair. In our experience, who arranges and pays for a repair job is settled in the commercial agreement between the owner and the SDA provider.
Does the NDIA inspect SDA properties for repairs?
No. The NDIA is not legally responsible for the construction, maintenance or tenancy of SDA dwellings, and it isn't involved in day-to-day management of the property.
Who arranges a tradesperson when something needs fixing?
In our experience, this is either the owner's own property manager or the SDA provider, depending on what's agreed between them. It's worth deciding this before you lease the property, not after something breaks.
If I own an SDA property but I'm not the registered SDA provider, am I still responsible for repairs?
The legal duty to keep the dwelling in good repair sits with the registered SDA provider, not the owner. As an investor, you'll need an agreement with an SDA registered provider, and in our experience that agreement is where day-to-day repair arrangements are set out.
Does the SDA Design Standard mean the NDIA maintains accessibility features?
No. SDA design standard certification applies to newly built homes when they're enrolled. It isn't a maintenance service, and repairs to accessibility features in an already-enrolled home are the SDA provider's responsibility under section 28 of the SDA Rules, not the NDIA's.
Sources
We check the facts in this guide against these official sources before it goes live.
- NDIS (Specialist Disability Accommodation) Rules 2020, section 28
- Investment in specialist disability accommodation (SDA)
- Guide to providing specialist disability accommodation (SDA)
- How to manage specialist disability accommodation (SDA) vacancies
- The specialist disability accommodation (SDA) pricing arrangements
This guide is general information about owning a Specialist Disability Accommodation property. It isn't financial, legal or property advice. Check your own tenancy agreement, property management agreement and SDA provider agreement, and speak to a qualified adviser about your specific circumstances. Information is current at the time of writing and subject to change.