A SIL house is a home where NDIS participants live, usually with 1 to 4 housemates, and get rostered help from support workers. Rather than being a special government facility, it is an ordinary suburban house, villa, or apartment where Supported Independent Living supports run around the clock.
Key Takeaways
Everyday name, official funding: "SIL house" is an everyday community phrase, while Supported Independent Living (SIL) is the official NDIS funding inside your Core Supports budget.
Funding follows the person: Your NDIS SIL budget pays for rostered support workers, never the bricks and mortar, rent, groceries, or household utility bills.
Daily support threshold: The NDIA generally funds SIL when you need more than 8 hours of active daily support plus overnight supervision across all 7 days.
Two separate legal agreements: Registered providers must keep your tenancy agreement legally separate from your SIL service agreement so your housing stays secure.
2026 provider registration rules: Providers delivering SIL must meet NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission registration rules and comply with the SIL Practice Standards.
Who Lives in a SIL House?
Understanding what is a SIL house starts with looking at the people who live in these homes and the support levels they need. Across Australia, 36,874 active NDIS participants use Supported Independent Living supports, according to the NDIS Q4 2025–2026 Quarterly Report. In Victoria alone, 7,764 active participants receive SIL funding, with average annualised budgets of $496,100 in the NDIS Victoria Performance Dashboard.
In our work across Melbourne suburbs from Campbellfield to Reservoir and Epping, we see adults of all ages settle into suburban homes once they find a household that matches their routines.
NDIS Eligibility and Daily Support Needs
Supported Independent Living is for NDIS participants with higher, ongoing support needs every single day. Under NDIS Home and Living guidelines, SIL generally fits participants who require active disability support for more than 8 hours per day alongside supervision across all 24 hours of the week.
Securing that funding takes clear clinical evidence from your allied health team. Your Support Coordinator typically works with an Occupational Therapist to complete a functional capacity assessment and daily care logs before lodging a Home and Living request with the NDIA.
Shared Living Versus Living Alone in SIL
Most SIL arrangements run as a shared living arrangement where 2 to 4 NDIS participants live together in a standard residential property. Every resident has their own private bedroom while sharing the kitchen, lounge, laundry, and backyard.
Sharing a household means you usually share rostered staff with your housemates, most commonly at a 1:2 or 1:3 worker-to-resident ratio. The NDIA may also fund 1:1 individual SIL in a single unit or shared house when complex health risks or behaviours of concern require constant one-on-one attention, as outlined in the NDIS Supported Independent Living Guideline. Once SIL support funding is included in your NDIS plan, the next step is knowing what those rostered staff actually do inside the home each day.
What Support Workers Do in the Home
Inside a SIL house, rostered support workers help you build daily independence rather than taking over your routine. When our team supports residents across northern Melbourne, our job is to work alongside you so you stay in charge of your own household.
Daily Personal Care and Independent Living Skills
Your SIL funding sits inside your Core Supports budget under Assistance with Daily Life. According to the NDIS Guide to Providing Supported Independent Living, support workers use those funded hours across six core areas:
Personal care tasks such as showering, dressing, grooming, and morning routines
Meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking dinner, and safe kitchen habits
Household cleaning, laundry, and keeping shared living spaces tidy
Safe medication prompts and accompanying you to local medical appointments
Practising public transport routes, household budgeting, and community participation
Following positive behaviour support plans in a calm, respectful manner
Good support relies on supported decision-making. Staff offer clear choices about meals, daily schedules, and weekend plans so you exercise genuine choice and control at home.
Overnight Support and Your Roster of Care
Because SIL covers 24/7 supervision, overnight staffing falls into two distinct NDIS funding tiers based on your night-time needs:
Sleepover support applies when you need a worker sleeping on site overnight who can wake up to provide up to 2 hours of active assistance.
Active overnight support applies when you require continuous awake monitoring or more than 2 hours of hands-on help during the night.
Your provider organises every daytime and overnight shift into a written Roster of Care showing how support hours run from Monday to Sunday. Under the NDIS Supported Independent Living Guideline, you have the legal right to request a copy of your Roster of Care at any time. Your plan also includes 10 irregular support days per year for standard needs, or 15 days for high-intensity needs, to cover extra shifts when you are unwell or stay home from a day programme.
SIL House Rules and Costs
Money and house rules cause the biggest confusion for families looking into a SIL house for the first time. Knowing where NDIS funding stops and personal living expenses begin prevents unexpected bills.
What NDIS SIL Funding Pays for Versus Out-of-Pocket Costs
Your NDIS SIL budget pays strictly for disability support workers, clinical supervision, and shift allowances. Under NDIS SIL funding rules, SIL funds never pay for bricks and mortar, rent, groceries, or household utility bills.
Residents pay everyday living costs from their own income, usually combining their Disability Support Pension with Commonwealth Rent Assistance from Services Australia:
Paid by NDIS SIL funding: Rostered daily support workers, overnight care, staff training, and irregular support days.
Paid by the resident: Weekly rent or board, groceries, electricity, gas, water, internet, toiletries, and personal outings.
Another financial rule protects you if a housemate moves out. Under NDIA pricing rules, providers cannot raise your SIL fees or claim extra money from your NDIS plan to cover an empty bedroom.
Separate Agreements, House Rules, and 2026 Provider Rules
Every shared household agrees on practical house guidelines covering quiet hours, overnight guests, shared chores, and pet policies. Alongside everyday house etiquette, national rules protect your legal rights as a resident.
Under the NDIS Practice Standards enforced by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, providers that supply both housing and SIL support must keep your tenancy agreement legally separate from your SIL service agreement. You must hold your own house keys, enjoy privacy in your bedroom, and be consulted before any new housemate moves in. If you need help reviewing lease terms or protecting your tenant rights, dedicated accommodation and tenancy assistance can help you check every clause before signing.
Under mandatory registration reforms enforced by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission in 2026, providers delivering SIL must be registered with the Commission under registration group 0138 (or hold an eligible transition application lodged prior to 1 October 2026). Your housing security can never depend on staying with the same support provider.
SIL House or SDA Home?
Many families assume a SIL house and an SDA home are the same thing, yet they fund two separate parts of your NDIS plan. Comparing Supported Independent Living with Specialist Disability Accommodation and Individualised Living Options clarifies which setup fits your needs.
Supported Independent Living (SIL)
SIL funds the rostered 24/7 support workers who assist you inside the home. It runs in an ordinary suburban house, villa, or apartment leased by a provider or rented privately, and suits participants who need more than 8 hours of daily active care plus overnight support.
Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Specialist Disability Accommodation funds the physical, purpose-built accessible building rather than the support workers inside it. Built for the roughly 6% of NDIS participants who meet statutory criteria for extreme functional impairment or very high support needs, SDA homes come in four design categories: Improved Liveability, Fully Accessible, High Physical Support, and Robust. An SDA dwelling is owned by a separate registered SDA housing provider, and eligible participants often combine SDA building funding with SIL staffing support under one roof.
Individualised Living Options (ILO)
Individualised Living Options fund flexible living setups, such as living with a host family, sharing with a co-resident, or blending informal community support with drop-in workers, rather than fixed 24/7 group rosters. According to NDIS Home and Living guidelines, ILO or standard drop-in support often suits participants with moderate-to-high needs who want an alternative to shared group homes or who direct their own workers.
Choosing the Right Home and SIL Provider
Touring a prospective home in person tells you far more than a brochure ever could. When we walk families through homes across Melbourne's north and wider Victoria, we suggest checking five details:
Does the property feel like a regular family home rather than a clinical facility?
Do support workers speak with residents patiently, respectfully, and without rushing?
Do current residents share similar ages, noise preferences, and daily routines?
Is the house close to public transport, parks, medical clinics, and family?
Are your Roster of Care, service agreement, and tenancy terms clearly separated?
Choosing a home starts with choosing a provider, so see how we work as an NDIS SIL provider in Melbourne.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people usually live in a SIL house?
Most SIL houses accommodate between 2 and 4 NDIS participants living together in a standard residential home. Each resident has a private bedroom while sharing the kitchen, living areas, and rostered support staff. Some participants with complex individual needs also receive SIL support while living alone in a single unit or villa.
Does the NDIS pay for rent and groceries in a SIL house?
No, NDIS Supported Independent Living funding only pays for your paid support workers and care coordination. Residents pay their own rent, utilities, groceries, and personal expenses out of pocket, typically using their Disability Support Pension alongside Commonwealth Rent Assistance.
Can I choose who I live with in a SIL house?
Yes, you have the right to choose your housemates and inspect any home before agreeing to move in. Under NDIS Practice Standards, providers must also consult existing residents and check compatibility before introducing a new co-tenant into an established household.
What happens if I want to leave my SIL house or change providers?
Your SIL funding belongs to you rather than the house, so you can move to another home or change providers by giving the notice period agreed in your service agreement. Providers are legally required to keep tenancy and support agreements separate and cannot penalise you for exercising choice and control.
Ready to Explore SIL Housing in Melbourne?
Speak with our Melbourne team to discuss SIL housing options, housemate matching, and how we tailor rostered support around your NDIS goals.