Finding an accessible home to rent or buy
People with disability and seniors may need a home where they can move around easily and safely. This is called accessible housing.
Find out how to search for an accessible home in Queensland and who can help.
Things to think about
When searching for an accessible home to rent or buy, think about:
- your accessibility needs, for example:
- step-free entryway
- wider doorways and hallways for mobility aids
- accessible bathroom (e.g. grab rails, walk-in shower)
- lowered kitchen benches
- easy-to-reach light switches and power points.
- how close you’d prefer to be to:
- family and friends
- public transport
- shops, doctors and chemists
- services you often use
- Parks, gardens and other recreational activities.
- whether you want to live by yourself or with someone else (e.g. partner, family member, another person)
- whether you need something short term or longer term.
Searching online for accessible housing
Different websites have different features to help you.
General real estate websites
These websites have a much wider selection of homes to rent or buy, but they don’t specialise in accessible housing.
They have fewer ways to filter properties based on their accessibility features. The filtering is based on information in the property description. The filter might miss some suitable properties if the real estate agent doesn’t mention the property's accessibility features in the description.
- has checkboxes to filter results based on accessibility features mentioned in the property description (for example, ‘single storey’, ‘wide doorways’, or ‘elevator’)
- has a keyword filter, so you can limit your search to properties with your keywords in the property description.
- has a keyword filter, so you can limit your search to properties with your keywords in the property description.
Websites specialising in accessible and disability-friendly properties
These websites list fewer properties but have more filtering options to help you find a home that meets your accessibility and support needs.
- specialises in helping people with disability find suitable housing
- can filter results based on:
- who you want to live with (if anyone)
- your support needs
- do you need a short, medium, long-term lease
- do you need Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
- does it have a Livable Housing Australia (LHA) certification, and more.
Nest:
- lists accessible properties and vacancies in housing for people with disability
- includes properties from Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) providers, disability providers, community and social housing providers, real estate agents and private landlords.
- can filter results based on:
- your accessibility needs
- your accommodation or support funding
- whether the home is shared, and more.
Help to find an accessible home
If you’re struggling to find a place to rent, RentConnect can help you find something that meets your needs. We can also check your eligibility for financial help with renting.
If you’re buying or renting, you can also talk to real estate agents in the area you want to live. They may have options for you. They may also be able to let you know when something suitable becomes available.
Find a real estate agent or agency
Finding Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
If you are an NDIS participant and think you are eligible for SDA, talk to your NDIS support coordinator.
SDA housing has accessible features to help you live more independently. It's also designed so that your other support can be delivered safely and effectively.
These websites help you find Specialist Disability Accommodation.
- is provided by the NDIS
- lists only Specialist Disability Accommodation
- filter by SDA design category (Basic, Fully Accessible, High Physical Support, Improved Liveability, Robust).
- specialises in helping people with disability find suitable housing
- can filter results based on:
- who you want to live with (if anyone)
- your support needs
- do you need a short, medium, long-term lease
- do you need Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
- does it have a Livable Housing Australia (LHA) certification, and more.
Nest:
- lists accessible properties and vacancies in housing for people with disability
- includes properties from Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) providers, disability providers, community and social housing providers, real estate agents and private landlords
- can filter results based on:
- your accessibility needs
- your accommodation or support funding
- whether the home is shared, and more.
Accessibility standard for new homes
Since 1 October 2023 new homes in Queensland have been required to meet an accessibility standard.
A new home may be accessible even if it is not advertised as accessible. You can ask whether a new home meets the new standard.
Accessibility standard for new homes – more information
Livable Housing Australia (LHA) certification
When searching for an accessible property, you may come across ones that have a Livable Housing Australia (LHA) certification. This means the property meets specific requirements for livability, accessibility and adaptability.
These properties should have an LHA Assessment Certificate of Compliance which you can ask to see.
The certification will include a performance level:
- Silver – the home has the 7 core elements of livability
- Gold – the home meets enhanced requirements for liviability
- Platinum – the home meets all 15 elements of livability.
For more information about what the performance levels mean, see the Livable Housing Design Guidelines (PDF, 2.8 MB).
Making your home more accessible
Whether you rent, own your home, or live in public or community housing, you have options to make your home more accessible.
Instead of moving, you may be able to modify your current home to meet your needs.
If you find a home that suits your needs but lacks a couple of things, you might have options to modify it.
You could also be eligible for help to make your home more accessible.
Making your home more accessible – more information