You've been told the property meets Livable Housing standards. But how do you know it actually does?

When you're viewing potential SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation) homes for your family member, providers will mention the livable housing design standard. It's a crucial requirement for Improved Liveability SDA. The Livable Housing Design Standard is a set of design features that make homes more accessible and adaptable for people with disability, with Silver Level being the minimum threshold required for all new SDA properties since July 2021. But verifying these claims during a property inspection can feel overwhelming, especially when you're navigating technical terminology and trying to assess what really matters.

Here's what families tell us: "We felt uncertain during property viewings. We didn't know what to check." You're not expected to be an expert. This guide gives you practical steps to verify a property meets the standards it claims, empowering you to make informed decisions with confidence. You'll learn what features to look for, how to measure key elements, and when to ask for professional assessor certification.

Understanding the Livable Housing Design Standard

The Livable Housing Design Standard is a national specification included in the National Construction Code (NCC) 2022 that sets minimum accessibility and adaptability features for residential properties. It exists in three levels: Silver, Gold, and Platinum, with each level building on the previous one's requirements.

For NDIS families, this matters because all new Improved Liveability SDA properties must meet at least Silver Level under the SDA Design Standard introduced in July 2021. This connection between the NCC's Livable Housing requirements and the NDIS SDA Design Standard means that if a property claims to be Improved Liveability SDA, it must demonstrate Silver Level compliance as a foundation, plus additional sensory and cognitive design features.

The standard was developed by Access Institute (formerly Livable Housing Australia) to create homes that are easier and safer to navigate for people with disability, older Australians, and anyone with temporary mobility challenges. Silver Level focuses on core physical accessibility features: step-free access, wider doorways, reinforced bathroom walls for future grab rails, and accessible car parking.

What makes this different from general accessibility? The Livable Housing Design Standard is measurable and certifiable. Professional assessors verify compliance at both the design stage and after construction (as-built stage). This certification process protects families from properties that claim accessibility but fall short. The official NDIS SDA Design Standard requires this independent verification, meaning providers can't self-certify.

Understanding this framework helps you recognise what to look for during property inspections. You're not just checking for "accessible features" in a vague sense. You're verifying specific, measurable design elements that meet a national standard.

Silver Level Requirements: What You're Assessing For

Silver Level has seven core design elements that every compliant property must include. When you're viewing a property, these are the foundational features you're checking.

Seven Core Silver Level Elements

The Livable Housing Australia Silver Level standard specifies these requirements:

1. Step-free access from the street or parking area to the dwelling entrance - No steps, only ramps with maximum 1:14 gradient
2. Step-free access on the entry level - At least one step-free entrance to the dwelling
3. Internal doors and corridors with minimum widths - 950mm clear opening for doors, 1,000mm wide corridors
4. Toilet on entry level with minimum area and door width - Enough space for assisted use
5. Reinforced bathroom and toilet walls - Structurally prepared for future grab rail installation
6. Stairway design for easier/safer use - If stairs exist, they meet specific tread and handrail requirements
7. Accessible car parking space - Minimum 3,200mm wide with step-free path to dwelling

These seven elements create the baseline physical accessibility. For most families viewing properties, these are the visible, verifiable features you can assess during an inspection.

Enhanced Improved Liveability Features

Improved Liveability SDA goes beyond Silver Level physical access. Your family member's home should also include enhanced features for sensory and cognitive needs:

• Luminance contrast of at least 30% between key surfaces (doors/frames, walls/floors, bathroom fixtures/walls)
• Enhanced natural and artificial lighting throughout living areas
• Acoustic treatments to reduce echo and noise transmission
• Wayfinding and visual cues to help navigation within the dwelling
• Simplified layouts that reduce confusion

These additional features distinguish Improved Liveability SDA from general Silver Level properties. When you're viewing a property, you're checking for both the core seven elements and these sensory enhancements. The combination creates housing genuinely designed for people with intellectual, cognitive, or sensory disabilities.

Your Step-by-Step Property Assessment Checklist

The technical documentation is genuinely overwhelming. Here's what actually matters during a property walkthrough, broken down into specific things you can observe and verify yourself.

Before You Visit: Preparation Steps

Bring a tape measure (retractable, at least 3 metres), a notepad, and your phone camera. Ask the provider ahead of time for copies of the Silver Level assessor certification (both design-stage and as-built). If they hesitate or can't provide this documentation, that's your first red flag. All new SDA properties built since July 2021 must have independent assessor certification.

Write down your family member's specific needs before the visit. What features matter most? Wide doorways for a power wheelchair? Luminance contrast for vision impairment? This personalises your checklist beyond the standard requirements.

1. Dwelling Access (Pathway from Street/Parking)

Start outside. Walk the path from the street or designated parking space to the front door. Is it completely step-free? Check for:

• No steps or kerbs - The path should be continuous without vertical changes
• Firm, slip-resistant surface - No loose gravel, uneven pavers, or soft surfaces
• Minimum 1,000mm wide - Enough width for wheelchair or walking frame
• Maximum 1:14 gradient if ramped - Steep ramps don't meet standards

If there's a ramp, measure its length and rise. A ramp rising 200mm should be at least 2,800mm long (200 x 14 = 2,800mm). Steeper ramps indicate non-compliance.

2. Dwelling Entrance (Step-Free Access)

The threshold from outside to inside should be level or have minimal lip (maximum 5mm). Check:

• Entry door clear opening width - Should measure at least 950mm when fully open (measure from door stop to door edge, not frame to frame)
• No step at threshold - Level transition or maximum 5mm bevelled threshold
• Weather seals don't create trip hazard - Door seals should be flush or minimal height

Stand in the doorway with your tape measure. If it's less than 950mm clear width, it doesn't meet Silver Level.

3. Internal Doors and Corridors (Widths and Clearances)

Walk through the living areas, bedrooms, and bathroom. Measure at least two internal doorways and one hallway:

• Internal doors: 950mm clear opening - Same as entry door requirement
• Corridors: 1,000mm wide minimum - Measure wall to wall, not including skirting boards
• Turning space in rooms - Enough space to turn a wheelchair (1,500mm diameter circle)

Doors to habitable rooms (bedrooms, living areas, bathrooms) must all meet this width. Linen cupboards or storage don't, but every room your family member will use does.

4. Bathroom and Toilet (Space and Reinforcement)

The bathroom is where Silver Level makes the biggest difference for future adaptability. Check:

• Toilet space: minimum 1,200mm x 1,200mm - Measured from centre of toilet
• Reinforced walls for grab rails - Ask provider to show certification (you can't see reinforcement, but documentation proves it)
• Door opening width: 950mm clear - Essential for wheelchair access
• Step-free shower access - Hobless or maximum 5mm threshold

The wall reinforcement is critical but invisible. You cannot verify this yourself during a viewing. This is where you must request the as-built assessor certificate, which confirms reinforcement was installed according to standards.

5. Additional Improved Liveability Features (Contrast, Lighting, Wayfinding)

Now assess the sensory and cognitive enhancements that distinguish Improved Liveability SDA:

• Luminance contrast - Do door frames stand out visually from doors? Do floor surfaces contrast with walls? Contrast should be obvious, not subtle
• Natural light - Are living areas well-lit by windows? Is artificial lighting bright and evenly distributed?
• Acoustic quality - Clap your hands in the living area and bedroom. Excessive echo suggests poor acoustic treatment
• Visual wayfinding - Are different areas visually distinct? Can you tell the bedroom zone from living zone easily?

These features are harder to measure precisely yourself. A 30% luminance contrast requires specialist tools. But obvious visual contrast between surfaces is a good indicator. If everything is the same shade of white or beige with minimal variation, question whether true contrast exists.

Measuring and Verifying Key Features

You don't need to be an expert, but knowing how to verify a few key measurements protects you from properties that almost meet standards.

Door widths: what 950mm looks like

When you measure, open the door fully and measure from the door stop (the part of the frame the door closes against) to the edge of the door itself when it's at 90 degrees open. Don't measure the frame opening. The clear opening is what matters, because that's the actual space a wheelchair or walking frame passes through. 950mm is slightly wider than a standard door (typically 820mm clear), so it should feel noticeably spacious.

Luminance contrast: identifying 30% minimum

You can't measure this precisely without a luminance metre, but you can assess obvious contrast. Hold your phone up and take a black-and-white photo of a doorway. If the door and frame look almost identical in grayscale, there's insufficient contrast. If there's clear distinction between tones, that's a good sign. Professional assessors measure the mathematical difference, but this visual check catches obvious failures.

Step-free access: what qualifies

Step-free means exactly that. No vertical rise, or a maximum 5mm bevelled (angled) threshold. If you can see a step, it's not step-free. If there's a small lip, measure it. Anything over 5mm doesn't comply. Ramps are acceptable if they meet the 1:14 maximum gradient.

Bathroom reinforcement: ask for documentation

You cannot verify reinforced walls by looking at them. The reinforcement is behind the plasterboard. This is why assessor certification matters. Ask the provider: "Can I see the as-built Silver Level assessor certificate?" It should specifically note that bathroom and toilet walls have been reinforced to AS 1428.1 standards for future grab rail installation. No certificate means no verification.

When to Get a Professional Assessor

Your family assessment during property viewings is valuable for peace of mind and initial verification. But it's not a substitute for professional certification, and you shouldn't be expected to replace it.

SDA properties built since July 2021 must have independent professional assessors certify compliance at two stages: design stage (before construction) and as-built stage (after construction is complete). This is an NDIS requirement, not optional. Providers like Paramount use accredited assessors who verify that properties meet both the Livable Housing Design Standard Silver Level and the additional Improved Liveability requirements.

Professional assessors check things families can't: wall reinforcement, specific luminance contrast percentages measured with specialised equipment, gradient calculations for ramps, structural load capacities, and compliance with dozens of technical specifications in Australian Standards. They produce certification documents that prove compliance.

When should you insist on seeing professional certification? Always. Before you commit to a property, ask the provider for copies of both the design-stage and as-built assessment certificates. These documents should be readily available. If a provider says "we're still waiting on certification" for a property that's supposedly ready to move into, that's a major red flag.

What we do at Paramount: Our properties are assessed by independent third-party accredited assessors at both design and as-built stages. We provide families with copies of these certificates because transparency builds trust. You're not questioning our word when you ask for certification. You're doing exactly what informed families should do.

Common Questions About Livable Housing Standards

Does every SDA property meet Livable Housing standards?

All new Improved Liveability SDA properties built since July 2021 must meet at least Silver Level. However, older SDA properties built before this date may not have been required to meet the standard. If you're viewing an older property, ask when it was built and whether it has been retrofitted to current standards. For all four SDA design categories, different standards apply, but Improved Liveability specifically requires Silver Level as a foundation.

Can existing homes be assessed and certified?

Yes, existing homes can be assessed against Livable Housing standards, but SDA properties must be purpose-built to meet the SDA Design Standard requirements. Retrofitting a standard home to meet both Silver Level and Improved Liveability requirements is technically possible but often not cost-effective. The NDIS focuses funding on purpose-built SDA properties that incorporate design features from the ground up.

What if a property doesn't meet standards?

If you're viewing a property that claims to be Improved Liveability SDA but you notice missing features or the provider can't produce assessor certification, walk away. Contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission if you believe a provider is misrepresenting property compliance. You have the right to housing that genuinely meets the standards required for your family member's needs.

How does this relate to Fully Accessible or High Physical Support SDA?

Fully Accessible and High Physical Support SDA categories have different and more extensive physical access requirements beyond Silver Level. Fully Accessible focuses on comprehensive wheelchair accessibility throughout the dwelling. High Physical Support includes features like ceiling hoists, tracking systems, and backup power. The Livable Housing Design Standard Silver Level is specifically the baseline for Improved Liveability SDA, which prioritises sensory and cognitive accessibility alongside basic physical access.

Conclusion

Understanding the livable housing design standard empowers you to verify property claims during inspections instead of simply trusting provider assurances. You've learned the seven core Silver Level elements, the additional Improved Liveability features, and practical ways to assess key features like door widths, step-free access, and visual contrast during property viewings.

Most providers don't educate families on what to check because they don't want questions. We're sharing this knowledge because informed families make better housing decisions. When you know what 950mm door clearance looks like, what step-free actually means, and why assessor certification matters, you can spot properties that meet standards and avoid those that fall short.

The checklist in this guide is yours to use during every property viewing. Measure those doorways. Walk the access path from parking to entrance. Ask to see the as-built assessor certificates. These aren't burdensome requests. They're reasonable steps that protect your family member from inappropriate housing.

Paramount properties are certified by independent assessors at both design and as-built stages. We're not worried about families knowing what to check because we actually meet the standards. When you're ready to view properties or want to discuss what features matter most for your family member's needs, we're here to walk you through it honestly.

How to choose an SDA provider becomes easier when you understand verification standards. You'll know which questions to ask and which red flags to watch for. And when you've found the right property, our complete move-in guide walks you through what comes next.

Got questions about Livable Housing standards or want to discuss our certified properties? Call us on (03) 9999 7418 or email admin@paramounthomes.com.au. We're happy to talk through your situation and show you the assessor certification for our homes.