We finally have clear guidelines about NDIS funding for short-term accommodation or respite (STR) to be used in a hotel, motel, short stay rental, cabin, cottage, hostel or respite accommodation, formerly known as Short Term Accommodation (STA). Most of the information in this article is extracted verbatim from the NDIS website to ensure you have clarity and facts directly from the source.

Key points summarised by Accessible Accommodation:

• Short-term respite (STR) is designed only for those who have informal primary support (i.e. family or friends) who give you significant daily support.

• You CAN stay in a hotel, resort, holiday park, short-stay rental, cabin, cottage or motel.

• You need to stay somewhere within your own state.

• Your support Workers' accommodation will also be funded.

• Short-term respite isn't for a holiday or a cruise; Accessible Accommodations properties can be used for both self-funded holidays as well as NDIS-funded short-term respite.

• You have guaranteed accessible accommodation when you book using Accessible Accommodation, by either using the "Book your stay" button or contacting Accessible Accommodation to make a booking.

• NDIS will fund respite based on the supports you currently need, so the current level of support is maintained, and you can keep doing the things you normally do

• You need to have at least 6 hours a day of informal support on a long-term basis, and you either live with or receiving daily drop-in informal support.

• Food and meals are not covered when staying in a hotel, resort, holiday park, short-stay rental, cabin, cottage or motel.

• You can't use short-term respite funding for activities if these activities are not included in the accommodation rate.

• You can't use short-term respite funding for your transport. ONLY If you have separate funding for transport, you can use this to and from your respite as well as during your respite.

 

What Is Short-Term Respite?

The NDIS has now clearly defined this. They say,  "Short-term respite (STR) allows you to have time apart, for at least one night, from your primary informal supports who give you significant daily support.  This provides the opportunity for you to be supported by someone else, while giving your primary informal supports a short break from their usual caring responsibilities.
When we say your primary informal supports, we mean your family and friends who give you the majority of your unpaid, active, disability-related support. We know the things your informal supports do for and with you are vital to your wellbeing. We understand how important it is that they’re able to keep supporting you. We also know it might be important for you to spend time apart from your primary informal supports."

The NDIS explain that, "Short-term respite may include standard accommodation, with no extra inclusions. It should be clean and comfortable and include basic amenities like a bed, bathroom and the accessibility features you need. For example, in a hotel, motel, short stay rental, cabin, cottage, hostel or respite accommodation." This means you can utilise Accessible Accommodations' extensively qualified accommodation to book your Short Term Respite. 

You can’t use it to go on a cruise or a tour.
The NDIS also clarify that, "we expect it to be in your home state or territory in Australia". The exception is if you live in a remote or very remote area, or a border town, your closest short-term respite might be in your neighbouring state or territory. 

 

Activities, flights, meals and transport.

They will "only fund your accommodation, personal care, and the support you need to take part in community, cultural or social activities. This means we won’t fund the activities themselves. If you need a support worker to stay at the location with you to access the level of support you need, we can also fund their accommodation. For example, if you need overnight support, or there isn’t a local support worker near your short-term respite accommodation."

 The NDIA also clarify that: "Food and meals are not covered" when staying in a hotel, resort, holiday park, short-stay rental, cabin, cottage or motel. Food and groceries are considered daily living costs and must be self-funded.
You can't use short-term respite funding for activities if these activities are not included in the accommodation rate.
You can't use short-term respite funding for your transport. ONLY If you have separate funding for transport, you can use this to and from your respite as well as during your respite.

How to book Accessible Accommodation on our website?

You can contact us anytime for booking assistance, including working with your Support Coordinator or Plan Manager to prepare Service Agreements and payments. Click HERE>

You may also book and pay for your accommodation directly. If you see an orange "Instant Book" button or a blue "Request to Book" button, you can make your booking directly online. You will receive proof of payment for you to make a claim. Rest assured, we guarantee the accessible accommodation is reserved for your stay.

 

 

 

If there is an "Enquire Now" button, or you require bookings assistance, please call 1300 180 889 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

 

 

Getting NDIS Short Term Respite funding:

The NDIS says, "Short-term respite will be included in your plan as flexible funding in your Core budget. This means you’ll need to spend your funding in line with your plan. You’ll need to think about what supports you need as you may need to negotiate this with your provider. Talk with them to make sure they can give you this support in line with the short-term respite budget included in your plan. If you need short-term respite, you can talk to your NDIS contact or bring this up at your check-in meeting. You can also ask for a change to your plan if your situation has changed, or if you think your current plan doesn’t have the short-term respite support you now need. Learn more about changing your plan."

 

 

How many days can you have short-term respite in a year?

NDIS say, " We generally fund up to 28 days of short-term respite per calendar year, for up to 14 days at a time. You can choose how to use your funding. For example, you might want to use it in a block of up to 14 days at a time, or for one weekend a month.". Anything longer than 28 days, you will need to investigate (MTA) Medium Term Accommodation. Accessible Accommodation can also assist with MTA.

Short-term respite NDIS requirements for adults (over 18)

The short term must be related to your disability support needs, and below is a checklist for you, quoted verbatim from NDIS. NDIS can only fund short-term respite if it relates to your disability support needs. To decide this, the NDIA will  need to know you:

• You live with, or get daily drop-in support, from your primary informal supports, and get disability-related support from your primary informal supports for more than 6 hours a day, on a long-term basis.

The NDIA will also need to know if you have at least one of the following factors that apply to you (quoted verbatim from NDIS).:

• You receive high-intensity support such as complex bowel care, enteral feeding and management, severe dysphagia management, tracheostomy management, urinary catheter management, ventilator management, subcutaneous injections and complex wound management.
• You have intensive or complex behaviour support.
• You need specialist behavioural intervention support.
• You live in an area where alternative in-home supports aren’t widely available and accessible.
• You get support from your primary informal supports, whose well-being and capacity to continue their caring role are at risk. For example, if they’re ageing or affected by illness themselves.
• Your primary informal supports have additional caring responsibilities. For example, young children or other family members with disability support needs.

The NDIA won’t fund short-term respite if:

• You live alone, independently and don’t have drop-in supports. This is because living alone means you already get time apart from your primary informal supports.
• You get more than 18 hours of paid support in your home each day, regardless of who you live with.
• You’re not having a break from your primary informal supports who you live with, or who give you significant daily drop-in support.
• It’s a day-to-day living cost that anyone is expected to pay. For example, your mortgage, rent or utilities
• You’re waiting for home modifications (this is medium-term accommodation)
• You’re living in a supported independent living (SIL) a
• You have funding for primary or supplementary individualised living options supports
• You’re in a housing crisis situation(Homelessness Australia can assist in these situations)

 

Short-term respite NDIS requirements for children (under 18)

 

Note, for children, there are other factors requiring checking. They will  need to know if:

• They live with you and you are their primary carer. NDIS don't fund short-term respite for children who are in statutory residential out-of-home care
• They need a large amount of care daily (greater than 6 hours per day) for active, disability-related support from their primary informal supports, significantly beyond the level usually needed for children of the same age. This means children with high intensity, daily personal support needs or behaviours of concern who need direct supervision due to risk
• You need more support to sustain your caring role due to your child’s disability-related care needs
• Other supports have been funded or considered. These may include other support in your family home, assistive technology or social and community access.

The NDIA will need to know if at least one of these factors applies to you:

• Another member of your household has major disability or developmental delay, and your caring responsibilities affect your well-being and the ongoing care you provide
• You or their primary carer has serious health concerns, are ageing or at risk of being unable to sustain your caring role
• There are identified risks with providing support in the home
• There’s an identified risk of your child entering an out-of-home care arrangement due to their disability or developmental delay-related support needs
• You live in an area where other types of in-home supports aren’t widely available and accessible. This might be because you live in a remote or rural area. 

 

What are the costs when booking on the Accessible Accommodation website?

We have negotiated competitive rates, especially for stays of a week or more. We will also charge a booking service fee, similar to when you use a travel agent.

 

Why book with Accessible Accommodation?

Every property is thoroughly verified for its accessibility  through four tiers of accreditation by people with lived experience of disability.  Furthermore, we negotiate competitive rates, and this saving is passed along to you and the NDIS. For nearly 7 years, we have been assisting people living with a disability in finding trustworthy accommodation that you can rely on for accuracy. Each property includes 50 frequently asked questions, a video tour, and plenty of information on accessible activities in the area. 

Important note

Please note this information is valid as at 16 October 2025. Always visit ourguidelines.ndis.gov.au for the latest version.

Thank you to the NDIS for providing this information. Several sections are quoted verbatim to ensure you have information directly from the sources. For the whole document, click HERE.