NDIS Short Term Accommodation: The Complete Provider Guide (2025-26)

NDIS short term accommodation is under the most intense regulatory spotlight in the scheme’s history. STA payments dropped 47% in June 2025, and roughly 3,000 providers have exited the market since the NDIA released its updated operational guidelines in October 2025. If you’re still operating in this space — or planning to enter it — you need to understand exactly what has changed and what the NDIA now expects from you.

In this guide, you’ll learn the current NDIS short term accommodation rules, pricing rates for 2025-26, registration requirements, documentation checklists, and claiming procedures. We also cover the official rename from STA to Short Term Respite (STR), announced in October 2025, and what it signals about the NDIA’s enforcement direction. Whether you’re a new provider or a veteran navigating the crackdown, this is the definitive resource for staying compliant and competitive.

What Is NDIS Short Term Accommodation (STA)?

NDIS short term accommodation (STA) — now officially renamed Short Term Respite (STR) — is a funded NDIS support that provides participants with temporary housing and disability support away from their usual home, while giving their primary informal carer a break. It falls under Core Supports in the “Assistance with Daily Life” budget category.

The STA to STR Rename

In October 2025, the NDIA formally renamed Short Term Accommodation to Short Term Respite. The change was not just cosmetic. It was a deliberate signal that this funding exists for one purpose: carer respite. In recent years, some providers had marketed STA as NDIS-funded holidays — offering cruise packages, interstate getaways, and resort stays. The rename draws a hard line against that practice.

The legislative foundation came through the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) Bill, which took effect on 3 October 2024. This confirmed STA as an approved support under “Assistance with daily life tasks in a group or shared living arrangement.” The October 2025 operational guidelines then introduced stricter eligibility criteria and explicit bans on holiday-style services.

Importantly, existing NDIS plans that still reference “STA” remain valid. No reassessment is needed purely for the name change. However, the rules governing NDIS short term accommodation have changed substantially, and every provider must adapt.

NDIS STA Rules: Funding Limits and Eligibility

Understanding the current rules is critical. The 2025 operational guidelines introduced several new eligibility thresholds that providers must verify before accepting a booking.

The 28-Day Annual Limit

Participants can generally access up to 28 days of NDIS short term accommodation per plan year. Within that allocation, no single stay can exceed 14 consecutive days. Every stay must include at least one overnight.

Those 28 days can be used flexibly — a single block, two 14-day stays, regular weekend bookings, or a mix of shorter stays throughout the year. However, 28 days is not a guaranteed entitlement. The actual funded allocation depends on what the NDIA deems “reasonable and necessary” for each participant. Some participants receive fewer days; others with complex needs may access the full allocation.

Unused NDIS short term accommodation days generally do not roll over to the next plan year. Funding resets at plan renewal. There is one notable exception: children at risk of out-of-home care may access up to 60 days per year with supporting evidence and NDIA approval.

New Eligibility Requirements (2025)

The October 2025 guidelines introduced two eligibility thresholds that did not exist in previous versions:

• 6-hour minimum: Adult participants must receive at least 6 hours per day of support from their primary informal supports (unpaid family or friends) on a long-term basis to qualify for STR funding.
• 18-hour exclusion: If a participant already receives more than 18 hours per day of paid support, the NDIA will not fund STR. The rationale is that these participants already have extensive formal support, reducing the respite rationale.

Beyond these thresholds, eligible adults must also meet at least one of the following criteria: they require high-intensity support (such as complex bowel care or enteral feeding), they need intensive behaviour support, they live in an area where in-home support is unavailable, or their primary informal carer’s wellbeing is at risk due to illness, ageing, or burnout.

Who Can Access STA in Their Plan?

NDIS short term accommodation sits in the flexible Core Supports budget. In most cases, participants can direct Core funding toward STR even if respite isn’t explicitly listed as a line item. However, the NDIA’s Payment Integrity Audit (PIA) team has been asking providers and plan managers whether STR was specifically included in the participant’s plan.

Previously, the operational guidelines stated “You can choose to use your Core budget on supports like STA.” That language has been removed from the latest version — increasing audit risk for claims where STR isn’t explicitly listed.

As a provider, you should encourage participants to have STR explicitly included in their NDIS plan at their next review. This significantly reduces audit exposure for both parties.

The following participants are excluded from STR funding entirely:

• Those living in SIL accommodation
• Those receiving ILO (Individualised Living Options) funding
• Those waiting for home modifications (MTA should be used instead)
• Those experiencing a housing crisis (state/territory homelessness services apply)
• Those living alone without drop-in support from informal carers

NDIS STA Pricing Rates 2025-26

NDIS short term accommodation pricing is set by the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (PAPL), effective 1 July 2025. Rates are listed under Registration Group 0115 — Assistance in Shared Living Arrangements. The daily rate is an all-inclusive cap: the total combined cost of accommodation, meals, activities, and supports must fit within the applicable maximum.

For a full breakdown of all NDIS pricing categories, see our NDIS Price Guide 2025.

National Daily Rate Limits (Standard Location)

Rates shown are active overnight, national (non-remote) location. Remote (MMM6) and Very Remote (MMM7) rates are 40–50% higher. Always verify current rates against the official NDIS Support Catalogue.

Key Pricing Rules for Providers

Group rates are the default. The NDIA expects group pricing (1:2, 1:3, or 1:4) unless there is strong evidence that the participant requires one-on-one support. This is a significant change from previous practice, where many providers defaulted to 1:1 rates. If you claim 1:1 rates, be prepared to justify it with documented evidence of the participant’s high-intensity needs.

Providers can charge less than the price limit but never more. For NDIA-managed participants, registered providers must stay within PAPL limits. For plan-managed participants, all providers — registered or not — must comply. Self-managed participants are technically exempt, but NDIS recommends PAPL rates as a benchmark.

The November 2025 PAPL update (v1.1) did not introduce new NDIS short term accommodation pricing changes specifically. However, disability support worker base rates increased approximately 3.95% as part of the annual review.

How to Become a Registered NDIS STA Provider

Registration is not mandatory in all cases. Plan-managed and self-managed participants can use unregistered providers. However, NDIA-managed participants can only use registered providers. With the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission signalling that mandatory registration for most provider categories is likely in the future, early registration is a strategic advantage.

For a step-by-step walkthrough, use our NDIS provider registration checklist.

Registration Requirements

NDIS short term accommodation falls under Registration Group 0115 — Assistance in Shared Living Arrangements. This is classified as a higher-risk registration group, which means a Certification Audit (not just a Verification Audit) is required.

The registration process follows these steps:

1. Set up a PRODA account — Create individual and organisation accounts through Services Australia.
2. Complete the online application — Submit via the NDIS Commission Portal, selecting Registration Group 0115. Provide your ABN, insurance certificates, and organisational policies.
3. Self-assessment — Evaluate your organisation against the NDIS Practice Standards (Core Module plus relevant supplementary modules).
4. Engage an approved auditor — Hire an NDIS Commission-approved auditing body to conduct your Certification Audit.
5. Complete the Certification Audit — This includes a Stage 1 document review (remote) and a Stage 2 site visit with staff and participant interviews.
6. Submit the audit report — Must be lodged with the NDIS Commission within 28 days of the audit.
7. Receive your Certificate of Registration — Valid for 3 years, with a mid-term audit at 18 months.

Audit Process and Costs

Because STA is a higher-risk service category, the Certification Audit is more thorough than the Verification Audit required for lower-risk registration groups. Expect document review, on-site inspections, interviews with staff, and interviews with participants or their representatives.

The full registration process typically takes 3 to 6 months. Provisional registration is available for new providers who don’t yet have participants, but full certification must be completed within 18 months. Use our NDIS compliance checklist to track your readiness throughout the process.

NDIS STA Documentation and Compliance

Documentation is the single most important area for NDIS short term accommodation compliance. The Payment Integrity Audit team has been laser-focused on STA/STR claims, and inadequate records are the fastest path to claim rejection, compliance action, or even deregistration.

8 Required Documents Per Stay

For every STA booking, providers must prepare and retain the following eight documents:

1. Signed service agreement — Must cover the exact STA dates, be signed by both the participant (or their representative) and the provider, and outline all services to be provided. Use a professional NDIS service agreement template to ensure all required elements are included.
2. Accommodation confirmation — Booking confirmation or paid receipt showing participant-specific dates and the accommodation address.
3. Support worker roster — Names, business names, ABNs, and scheduled hours for all support workers covering the entire STA duration.
4. Description of supports — A brief outline of the specific types of support each worker provided during the stay.
5. Activity outline — Dates and descriptions of all activities undertaken, showing clear alignment with the participant’s NDIS goals.
6. Evidence of plan goal alignment — Documentation demonstrating how the stay supports the participant’s stated NDIS goals (social engagement, skill development, independence).
7. Reasonable and necessary justification — Written explanation of how the NDIS short term accommodation support meets the reasonable and necessary criteria.
8. Evidence of respite purpose — Clear documentation that the stay is for carer respite, not recreation or holiday purposes. This is the document that will save you in an audit.

Record Retention (7 Years)

The NDIS Commission requires participant records, service agreements, and incident reports to be retained for a minimum of 7 years after the last interaction. Financial records (invoices, timesheets, claims) must be kept for at least 5 years per ATO requirements.

Records must be stored securely with role-based access control, audit trails showing when notes were created or edited, version control for care plans, and automatic backups. NDIS short term accommodation providers handling dozens of stays per year should invest in digital record management rather than relying on manual systems.

NDIS STA Claiming: How to Invoice Correctly

Correct invoicing is essential for timely payment and audit protection. Every STA invoice submitted to the NDIA or a plan manager must include the following elements:

• Participant’s NDIS number
• Exact dates of the stay (claim period)
• Support item code from the NDIS Support Catalogue (Registration Group 0115)
• Support ratio used (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, or 1:4)
• Number of days claimed
• Daily rate applied (must not exceed PAPL maximum)
• Itemised cost breakdown — accommodation, support hours, and any additional costs listed separately
• Provider ABN and business name
• Description of support provided

All formal support delivered during the NDIS short term accommodation stay must be claimed under the STA line item code — not under separate hourly support codes. Using NDIS billing software that maps directly to PAPL item codes eliminates the most common claiming errors and speeds up payment processing.

Common Claiming Mistakes

The following errors consistently trigger claim rejections and audit flags:

1. Bundling services as “all-inclusive packages” — The NDIA explicitly bans holiday-style billing. Every invoice must separate accommodation, supports, and additional costs.
2. Claiming meals as a separate line item — Meals can only be included within the centre/group daily rate, not invoiced separately from the participant’s plan.
3. Claiming transport to and from the venue — Transport is generally not claimable from the STR budget. Participants must use existing transport funding.
4. Duplicate claiming — Claiming STA and other regular daily support for the same dates is a major red flag. The NDIA may reduce other regular support funding while a participant is in STR to prevent duplication.
5. Exceeding PAPL rate limits — The daily rate including all inclusions must fit within the maximum. Plan managers cannot approve invoices above the limit.
6. Missing service agreements — Submitting claims without a signed, date-specific service agreement attached. Always have the agreement in place before the stay begins.

Consequences are real. Rejected claims leave participants covering costs personally. Repeated non-compliance can lead to compliance action from the NDIS Commission and ultimately deregistration. Participants have 3 months to request an internal review of rejected STR requests.

STA vs MTA vs SIL: Key Differences for Providers

NDIS short term accommodation is often confused with Medium Term Accommodation (MTA) and Supported Independent Living (SIL). Understanding the differences is essential for recommending the right support to participants and avoiding compliance issues.

The most common mistake is using STA when MTA is the correct support. If a participant is waiting for home modifications or transitioning between housing, MTA (up to 90 days) is the appropriate category. Using NDIS short term accommodation for housing transitions risks claim rejection and audit scrutiny.

Similarly, participants currently living in SIL accommodation are explicitly excluded from accessing STR funding. If you receive a booking request from a participant in SIL, redirect them to their support coordinator to explore other options.

How Inficurex Helps STA Providers

Managing NDIS short term accommodation involves complex rostering, precise billing against PAPL rate limits, and extensive documentation requirements. Inficurex is purpose-built NDIS software that streamlines all three.

With NDIS rostering software from Inficurex, you can assign support workers to STA stays based on qualifications, availability, and participant needs — while automatically tracking support ratios for accurate claiming. The integrated NDIS billing software maps directly to Registration Group 0115 item codes, calculates weekday/weekend/holiday rates, and generates itemised invoices that meet NDIA requirements. Built-in compliance tracking ensures your 8 required documents are collected for every stay, with automated reminders for missing items and secure 7-year record storage.

In a market where 3,000 providers have exited due to compliance pressure, the right software is not optional — it’s your competitive advantage.

Frequently Asked Questions