NDIS Respite Care & Short-Term Accommodation (STA) in Perth: The Complete 2026 Guide

NDIS Respite Care and Short-Term Accommodation (STA) provide temporary housing and support for NDIS participants, typically for a planned break or an emergency situation not as a permanent home. STA is the formal NDIS budget category name; “respite” is the term most families and support coordinators use for the same thing in everyday conversation. STA is usually funded for stays of up to 14 days per booking, subject to the participant’s NDIS plan, and covers accommodation, meals, and support together as one bundled service. SDA Homes WA offers respite-available homes across Perth’s southern, eastern, and northern suburbs including Maddington, Thornlie, Safety Bay, Hilbert, Midland, Wanneroo, Brabham, Dayton, Hocking, Gosnells, Bentley, Belmont, Nollamara, Success, and Clarkson for NDIS participants needing a short, supported break from their usual routine, whether that break is planned well in advance or arranged in an emergency.

What Is NDIS Respite / STA?

Short-Term Accommodation (STA) is an NDIS-funded support. It provides temporary accommodation, meals, and support for a participant away from their usual home, for a limited period.

Most people searching for “NDIS respite” and “NDIS short-term accommodation” are looking for the same thing. The NDIS uses “STA” as the formal name for this budget line in a participant’s plan. “Respite” describes its most common real-world use: giving a participant a break from their everyday routine. It often gives family or informal carers a break too.

STA differs from Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) in a fundamental way. SDA is ongoing, purpose-built housing for participants with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. STA, by contrast, is a temporary stay typically measured in days rather than years.

A participant doesn’t need to meet SDA’s eligibility threshold to access STA. The two supports sit in different parts of an NDIS plan and serve different purposes. Some participants use both.

STA can be used for a wide range of reasons: a planned holiday-style break, giving a family carer respite from full-time caregiving responsibilities, trialling a new environment or support arrangement, or as emergency accommodation if a participant’s usual living situation becomes temporarily unavailable.

STA / Respite Compared to Other NDIS Housing Supports

It also differs from Supported Independent Living (SIL) — SIL funds ongoing day-to-day support inside a participant’s home, rather than a temporary stay elsewhere. See our full guide to NDIS SIL and SDA for the full breakdown.

Not sure which of these applies to your situation? See our full comparison of SDA, SIL, STA, MTA, and ILO or contact our team and we can talk it through with you and your support coordinator.

Who Is Eligible for STA / Respite?

To access STA, a participant generally needs their NDIS plan to include STA funding; this is a lower eligibility bar than SDA, which requires evidence of extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. Most NDIS participants with an approved STA budget can use it, subject to how much STA funding is allocated in their plan and how frequently they intend to use it.

STA is commonly used by:

• Participants wanting a short break from their usual living arrangement
• Families and informal carers needing scheduled respite from caregiving duties
• Participants trialling a new support arrangement or living environment before committing longer-term
• Anyone needing emergency temporary accommodation due to an unexpected disruption to their usual home

If you’re unsure whether your NDIS plan includes STA funding, or how much is available, your support coordinator or plan manager can confirm this or our team can help you understand what to check for.

How Much Does STA / Respite Cost, and How Is It Funded?

A participant’s NDIS plan includes STA funding as its own budget category, separate from SDA and SIL funding. From 1 July 2026, the NDIA itemises STA pricing it prices the accommodation component separately from support, and support pricing varies based on intensity and any behaviour-support needs. Because rates vary by participant circumstances and the NDIA reviews them periodically, we recommend checking the current NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits for exact figures, or speaking with your support coordinator or plan manager about what your specific plan covers.

STA bundles accommodation and support together, so participants generally don’t need to arrange them separately for a respite stay. This is one of the practical differences between STA and longer-term arrangements like SDA plus SIL the NDIS funds and delivers these as two separate supports.

Planned vs Emergency Respite — How Booking Works

Planned respite: for a scheduled break whether a single stay or a recurring arrangement (e.g. one weekend a month) we recommend contacting us as early as possible to check availability, since respite-ready homes are shared across all participants who may need them. The sooner you get in touch, the more likely we are to secure your preferred dates and location.

Emergency respite: if a participant’s usual living situation becomes unexpectedly unavailable, contact our team directly on 0456 251 522 and we’ll work with you to find the fastest available option based on current vacancies.

In both cases, STA funding needs to be confirmed as available in the participant’s NDIS plan before a booking is finalised. If you’re not sure how much STA funding remains in your plan, your support coordinator or plan manager can check this for you.

Respite-Available Homes with SDA Homes WA

SDA Homes WA offers respite-available homes across Perth, including properties built to the Improved Liveability SDA design standard suited to sensory-friendly, adaptive short-term stays. Current respite-available listings include homes in Midland and Nollamara see our full list of available homes for current availability, or contact us to discuss which respite option suits your needs.

We match every respite-available home to a participant’s support needs the same way we match our longer-term SDA homes by design category, accessibility features, and location so whether you’re booking a single weekend or a recurring respite arrangement, you get a home that genuinely suits the participant staying there, not just a spare room.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between NDIS respite and STA?

They’re effectively the same thing. “STA” (Short-Term Accommodation) is the formal name the NDIS uses for this budget category in a participant’s plan, while “respite” is the everyday term most families, support coordinators, and search engines use for the same support. You’ll see both terms used interchangeably, including on this page.

How long can I stay in STA/respite accommodation?

Stays are usually up to 14 days, subject to how much STA funding is available in the participant’s NDIS plan. Some participants use shorter, recurring stays (e.g. one weekend a month) rather than a single longer booking.

Can I book an emergency respite?

Yes. If your usual living situation becomes unexpectedly unavailable, contact our team directly on 0456 251 522 and we’ll help find the fastest available option based on current vacancies.

Does STA funding cover support workers as well as accommodation?

Yes. STA is funded as one bundled service covering accommodation, meals, and support together, rather than as separate accommodation and support line items.

How do I apply for NDIS respite through SDA Homes WA?

Contact us through our website or by phone, and let us know your preferred dates and any specific support needs. We’ll check availability and confirm your STA funding covers the stay before finalising a booking. See our full How It Works guide for the general process.