NDIS Short-Term Accommodation and Respite Rules: July 2026

Key Points:

• Short-Term Respite (STR) has been updated and, is back to be known as Short-Term Accommodation (STA).
• Short-Term Accommodation gives your carers a break while you keep receiving the support you need.
• The previous all-in daily price is gone. From 1 July 2026, support is charged by the hour and accommodation is a separate daily item.
• Accommodation is up to a maximum of $162.85 a day nationally, and food is not covered.
• Checks are tighter, so talk to your plan manager before you book to keep your claim on track.

Summary:

Short-term accommodation is funded support that gives your usual carers a short break, while you keep getting the disability-related support you need. You may also know it as short-term respite (STR), however NDIS has recently changed the term back to using the name short-term accommodation (STA). The big change is how it is charged: from 1 July 2026, the way short-term accommodation is billed was overhauled, and this is what matters most for your funding.

Outline:

1. What changed on 1 July 2026
2. The rules: who can get it and how many days
3. What it covers and what it doesn’t
4. How to check your invoice
5. How AIIM Choices Plan Managers can help
6. Frequently asked questions

What changed on 1 July 2026

Before 1 July 2026, short-term accommodation was mostly billed as an all-inclusive daily price that bundled support, accommodation, food, and activities together. For example, a line such as “STA And Assistance (Inc. Respite), 1 to 1, Weekday” could be up to $2,178.57 a day nationally.

From 1 July 2026, that single all-inclusive daily amount is gone, and the costs are billed separately. Support is now charged by the hour, based on the time of day, the day of the week, and whether your support is standard or high intensity. 

What this means for you is straightforward. Your invoices will look different and will now show the support hours, accommodation, and travel on separate line items.  

You should only be charged for the support hours that you use. Accommodation will be charged for both you, and your support worker, as separate line items.

Please note that food and activity costs are not covered.

The rules: who can get it and how many days

Short-term accommodation is for people who rely on informal supports, usually family or unpaid carers. You generally either live with those supports, or get daily drop-in support from them, and they provide more than 6 hours of disability-related support a day.

Children under 18 can access it in some situations, but it is not meant to replace normal parenting.

It is usually funded for up to 28 days a year, used flexibly, for example in blocks of up to 14 days, or a weekend a month, and it is generally meant to last across your whole plan rather than be used all at once. It is used in your home state or territory, with exceptions for people in remote areas, where the most suitable accommodation may sit just across a border.

What it covers and what it doesn’t

Short-term accommodation may cover help with your everyday activities, standard accommodation like a hotel, motel, short-stay rental, cabin, cottage, hostel or respite house.

It does not cover:

• Holidays, cruises or airfares
• Passports, visas, travel insurance
• Theme parks and events
• Food and meals
• Travel costs for family members or workers going on holiday

Those costs are yours to cover.

How to check your invoice

Since the change, it pays to give short-term accommodation invoices a careful look. A few simple checks go a long way:

• Support hours and accommodation should show as separate line items, not one bundled daily price.
• The dates, hours and nights billed should match what was used.
• Include the participant’s details and NDIS number.
• You need to separate social and community support, accommodation, and travel when invoicing.
• Keep your service agreement, so you can check the invoice against what you agreed.

As these rules have recently changed, the biggest concern we see is that providers are not separating the actual support provided and the correct line items.

How AIIM Choices Plan Managers can help

When a short-term accommodation invoice comes in, our team checks it against the new rules before it is paid. We check that support and accommodation are billed separately, that the hours and nights match the stay, and that the rates sit within the current limits. If something does not look right, we raise it before it becomes a problem. It is a small thing that quietly saves you money and stress.

Frequently asked questions

What are the NDIS rules for short-term accommodation?

It is a short break from your usual care arrangements for people who rely on informal carers for more than 6 hours of disability-related support a day. It is usually funded up to 28 days a year, used flexibly, and within your home state or territory.

What changed for NDIS respite on 1 July 2026?

The all-inclusive daily price was replaced. Support is now charged by the hour, accommodation is a separate daily item of up to $162.85 nationally, and food is no longer covered. Invoices now show support and accommodation on separate lines.

Is short-term accommodation the same as short-term respite (STR)?

They refer to the same support. You may have seen it called short-term respite previously, however NDIS is again using the name short-term accommodation, but the way it is charged has changed.

How many days of respite can I use a year?

It is usually funded for up to 28 days a year, used flexibly, such as blocks of up to 14 days or a weekend a month, and it is generally meant to last across your whole plan. Each NDIS plan is unique and you may not have the full 28 days. If this funding is approved, it will list the number of days you may use in your plan.

If in doubt, ask your plan manager before you book.

Does NDIS short-term accommodation pay for food?

No. Since 1 July 2026, food and groceries are treated as everyday living costs and are not covered. You pay for those separately.

Read next

• Other NDIS pricing changes from 1 July 2026
• More on STA rules
• When a plan manager can reject an invoice
• Why service agreements matter
• Asking the NDIS to change your plan
• NDIS plan management

Written by Kate Scriven of AIIM Choices Plan Managers