Private Rental
Private Rental is a mainstream housing model which most of us will live in at one time in our lives. Private rental can be broken into two broad categories:
Renting Alone: Those who can afford it may want to choose to live alone in a rental. Median rent for Victoria is $480.00 per week not including utilities. Those living on a Disability Support Pension generally cannot afford to pay market rent alone.
Shared Rental: Sharing private accommodation with others who may or may not have a disability and sharing the costs of rent and utilities. This may be a more suitable option for those who are on a pension, but still may not be able to afford to live in metropolitan areas, or areas where they grew up. If people are going to share a property, its highly advised that they work with their Support Coordinator, ILO provider or a trusted person to match with the other residents in the property. Matching is about meeting people and spending time with them in a range of household settings to make sure that they are able to get along. Living with your best friend isn’t always the best idea!
It is worth noting that there are services not funded by the NDIS called Private Rental Brokerage Programs. Programs like the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS). These programs set up by stage and federal governments, which can help people who are on a pension with the costs of rent.
Your Support Coordinator can support you to find a private rental, and we suggest using our (Renting Ready pack) to support your application for access to a rental. They can then support you to submit a Home and Living Request for Supports form to the NDIA to ask for the funding that you need to live in a private rental in a way that makes sense to you. Its important to talk about your support options with someone who knows what the NDIS has to offer and specialises in this area, so that you don’t end up making an uninformed decision.
People with disability who receive a Disability Support Pension are eligible for funding from Centrelink called Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) which can be used towards the cost of a rental.
