What happens after the provider applies to enrol a dwelling?

When will we decide to enrol a dwelling?

We usually process dwelling enrolment applications within 28 days of receiving a complete and correct application. This is as long as providers have included all the information and documents we need.

We aren’t responsible for delays due to incorrect or incomplete applications.

If an application takes longer than 28 days to process because it’s very complex, or for other reasons, we’ll notify the provider.

When won’t we enrol a dwelling?

We make a decision to enrol a dwelling when a provider submits a complete dwelling enrolment application to the NDIS, after the dwelling is built. We’ll consider the information provided to us to decide if a dwelling meets the enrolment requirements. We won’t enrol a dwelling if the provider and the dwelling doesn’t meet the requirements for enrolment at the time of our decision.  This applies even if there is a Design Standard certification or previous feedback from us or any other party.

We won’t enrol a dwelling if it doesn’t meet the specialist disability accommodation Design Standard, minimum requirements, density restrictions, or other parts of the specialist disability accommodation Rules . If the dwelling is legacy stock and construction was completed between 1 December 2016 and 31 December 2018, we won’t enrol the dwelling unless we are satisfied that:

• there is a large financial cost to the provider if the dwelling is not enrolled
• there is not enough alternative specialist disability accommodation in the same area as the dwelling. 

If we don’t have enough information to enrol a dwelling, we’ll notify the provider. If the information isn’t given to us, we won’t enrol the dwelling.

If an application is incorrect or incomplete and a provider doesn’t get back to us in a reasonable timeframe, we may decide the dwelling does not meet the requirements and won’t enrol the dwelling. A provider can make a new application to enrol at any time.

If we decide not to enrol a dwelling, we’ll let the provider know.

What are the conditions of enrolment for providers?

Providers must meet the conditions of enrolment for each dwelling.

The conditions are: 

• The dwelling is kept in a good state of repair.
• The provider lets us know about any changes that impact the suitability of the dwelling.
• The provider gives us an independent certification of the enrolled dwelling if we ask for one.

Providers should use the my NDIS provider portal if they need to tell us anything about a specialist disability accommodation dwelling. If a provider can’t use the portal, they should email us at [email protected].

How do we verify the information that providers give us about an enrolled dwelling?

During the life of an enrolled dwelling, we may ask a provider to arrange for another person to certify that the dwelling still meets the same conditions as when it was originally enrolled. We’ll tell providers what qualifications the other person must have, and how independent they need to be from the provider. 

How do we verify the information that providers give us about an enrolled dwelling?

During the life of an enrolled dwelling, we may ask a provider to arrange for another person to certify that the dwelling still meets the same conditions as when it was originally enrolled. We’ll tell providers what qualifications the other person must have, and how independent they need to be from the provider. 

Can we cancel the enrolment of a dwelling?

We may cancel a provider’s enrolment if we become aware of any breach of the conditions of enrolment. This may include if:

• the dwelling isn’t in good condition or appropriately maintained
• the provider submits false or misleading information in the dwelling enrolment application
• the provider refuses a reasonable request for information
• the provider doesn’t get someone to certify any part of the enrolment application is still accurate after we ask them to
• the provider gives false certification of any part of the application.

We may also cancel a provider’s enrolment if they don’t tell us about any changes to enrolled dwellings within 5 business days. This may include when a provider doesn’t tell us that: 

• there’s a change, or there will likely be a change, in the specialist disability accommodation design category or building type
• the dwelling is no longer suitable to be used for specialist disability accommodation
• the provider intends to cancel the dwelling’s enrolment
• a participant says they are going to leave the specialist disability accommodation home
• a participant has been given notice to leave the specialist disability accommodation home
• there is a vacancy in the specialist disability accommodation home
• the provider wants to charge a participant rent above the maximum amount, without evidence from a qualified property valuer that the rent is fair and reasonable.

We’ll give the specialist disability accommodation provider written notice before we cancel an enrolment. In the written notice, we ask the specialist disability accommodation provider to show they meet all conditions of enrolment. We give the provider at least 14 days to get back to us before we cancel the enrolment. 

What if providers don’t agree with a decision we make?

If we decide not to enrol a dwelling, the provider can ask for a review.  They can also ask for a review if we decide to cancel a dwelling enrolment. 

If a provider requests a review of these decisions, we’ll follow the same process as other reviewable decisions. Learn more about reviewing our decisions guideline.

How much will we fund for a specialist disability accommodation dwelling?

The maximum per participant amounts that providers can receive from NDIS funding for specialist disability accommodation are set out in the specialist disability accommodation Pricing Arrangements . Providers will receive the lower amount of:

• the maximum per participant amount the dwelling is enrolled for
• the specialist disability accommodation funding amount in the participant’s plan.