ILO Housemate Arrangements (Co-Residency)
In an ILO housemate arrangement, the person lives full time in their own home, or a shared rental, with one or more people who aren't related to them. The housemate is the primary support at home, alongside back-up supports. Some providers call this co-residency or a co-resident model. The person keeps their own home, and pays their own rent and bills.
How Is a Housemate Arrangement Different From a Host Arrangement?
Whose home it is. In a host arrangement the person moves into the host's home. With housemates, the home is the person's own place or a shared rental.
| What differs | Host arrangement | Housemates |
|---|---|---|
| Whose home | The host's | The person's own home, or a shared rental |
| Who they live with | A host who isn't related to them | One or more people who aren't related to them |
| How often | Full time | Full time |
| Back-up | Supplementary supports | Supplementary supports |
What Does an ILO Housemate Do?
Shares the home and gives the agreed support, from companionship and prompting through to more hands-on help.
The NDIA's funding levels describe the range. At the lighter end, a housemate gives companionship and some casual support, like prompting with personal care and household tasks and help to manage emotions. At the higher levels the support is more regular and can include physical help with personal care and supervision with household tasks. What the housemate does is written into the service proposal.
The NDIA gives an example of support linked to disability: someone might need help with things housemates usually share, like cooking, or help to keep up their responsibilities as a tenant, such as keeping the place clean.
Looking for an ILO Provider?
We'll connect you with a registered ILO provider who may be able to help.
Can the Person Share Supports With Someone Else at Home?
Yes, if it's set out in the service proposal.
The NDIA's service proposal form asks whether any ILO supports will be shared with someone else in the home, and how and when. That matters when two NDIS participants share a home and some of the same support.
Who Pays the Rent?
The person does, as with any home. ILO doesn't pay rent, a mortgage or living costs.
The service proposal form lists what has to be left out of ILO costs: groceries, board and lodging, rent, utilities, holidays and household budgeting. How a housemate is paid is agreed between the person, their supports and the provider and written into the proposal. The NDIA recommends independent financial advice first, because ILO payments may be assessable for tax.
What Happens If a Housemate Moves Out?
The arrangement is adjusted. Finding a new housemate is part of the monitoring and adjustment work the NDIA's form describes.
Supplementary supports, like drop-in support, on-call help or family, are there to fill gaps. The provider coordinates the monitoring plan and helps put changes in place, and the person can raise a concern with the provider at any time.
Questions People Ask
What is co-residency in the NDIS?
It's a name some providers use for an ILO housemate arrangement: a person who isn't related to the participant lives with them and provides support at home. The NDIA's own term is housemates.
Does the housemate pay rent?
That's agreed between the people sharing the home and the provider, and written into the service proposal. ILO funding itself can't be used for rent.
Can my housemate be a friend?
The NDIA's only rule in its definition is that housemates aren't related to the person. Ask your ILO provider how they would set up an arrangement with someone you already know.
Do I need to own my home?
No. The NDIA says a housemate arrangement can be in the person's own home or a shared rental property.
Keep Reading
- Host arrangementsHow an NDIS ILO host arrangement works: living full time in a host's home, what a host does, how hosts are paid, the back-up around them and the checks.
- The ILO support modelStage 2 of an ILO: primary supports, supplementary supports, and monitoring and adjustment.
- How ILO funding worksHow ILO funding works in an NDIS plan: the two stages, the three stage 2 support levels up to $230,000 a year, what's excluded, and how the funding is managed.
- Moving out of home with ILOA guide for families: how an ILO can help a son or daughter with disability move out of home for the first time, when to start, and how family stays involved.
- NDIS ILO providersWhat an NDIS ILO provider does in each stage, the rules they follow, registration and plan management, and what to look for when choosing an ILO provider.
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