Your Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) home isn't just a place to live, it's your personal space where you should feel comfortable, independent, and truly yourself. Many participants worry that SDA homes will feel institutional or like "not really theirs". The truth is, you have significant freedom to personalise your SDA home within your tenancy agreement. From choosing furniture and décor to adding technology and making thoughtful modifications, you can create a space that genuinely reflects your personality and meets your needs.

If you're preparing to move in, read our SDA Transition Steps guide first for context on the overall move-in process. Once you're settled, personalising your SDA home transforms it from accommodation into your home. This guide covers what you can change, what requires approval, and practical ideas for making your space genuinely yours without breaking your budget or violating your rental agreement.

Why Personalising Your SDA Home Matters

Personalisation isn't about aesthetics alone, it supports your mental health, sense of ownership, and independence. Your home reflects your personality, interests, and identity. When your living space feels like yours, it improves wellbeing and quality of life in measurable ways.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is built on core principles of participant choice and control. That extends beyond selecting your housing provider to include how you live day-to-day. Making disability housing feel like home reduces the institutional feel that many participants worry about when considering SDA.

We know that settling into a new place takes time, especially after a major transition. Your SDA home is your space, and you have the right to make it yours. Small personalisation choices, whether it's hanging artwork that matters to you or choosing cushions in your favourite colour, build a sense of belonging that supports your independence. This isn't trivial. It's fundamental to feeling at home rather than feeling like a temporary guest.

Understanding Your Tenancy Agreement and Rights

SDA tenancy agreements in Victoria follow the Residential Tenancies Act, which means your rights as a tenant include reasonable enjoyment and personalisation of your rental property. Understanding the difference between reversible changes (generally allowed) and permanent structural changes (require landlord approval) helps you personalise with confidence.

Reversible changes are modifications you can undo when you move out. These include furniture, removable wall hooks, rugs, and most technology installations. Permanent structural changes involve drilling into walls beyond small picture hooks, painting, or altering fixtures. These modifications require written approval from your housing provider.

What makes a modification "reasonable"? In practice, it means changes that don't damage the property, compromise safety or accessibility features, or significantly reduce the property's value. Victorian tenancy laws protect your right to make reasonable disability-related modifications, but you must still seek landlord permission through a written request that clearly explains the modification and offers to restore the property at the end of your tenancy if required.

Why does landlord approval matter for some changes? Your housing provider needs to protect the property's value, ensure safety standards are maintained, and preserve the specialist accessibility features that make the dwelling suitable for SDA participants. These boundaries are reasonable property protection, not participant control. For detailed information about your rights and responsibilities, read our Understanding SDA Rental Agreements guide and our post on SDA Rules and Regulations.

Furniture and Décor: Your Personal Style

Furniture is entirely your choice, as long as it doesn't damage the property or block accessibility features like doorways or circulation spaces. You can choose colours, styles, and pieces that genuinely reflect your personality. Accessible furniture doesn't mean boring. You can absolutely have style, colour, and personality in your home.

Many participants worry SDA homes will look clinical, but your furniture choices change that completely. Mix accessibility with aesthetics by selecting pieces that work for your needs and match your taste. If you use a wheelchair, choose furniture at the right height for you. If you have sensory sensitivities, select fabrics and textures that feel comfortable. Your home should work for you in every way.

Wall Décor Without Permanent Changes

You can personalise walls without making permanent changes. Removable hooks from Bunnings hold up to 2kg without damaging walls, perfect for lightweight artwork, photos, or decorative items. If your SDA home has picture rails, use those for hanging artwork. Posters, tapestries, and removable vinyl decals add personality without requiring landlord approval.

Adding Warmth with Soft Furnishings

Rugs, cushions, throws, and soft furnishings transform a space quickly and affordably. They add warmth, colour, and texture that make your home feel welcoming. Choose patterns and colours that reflect your style. Layer textures to create visual interest. These items are completely within your control and can move with you if you relocate.

Plants and greenery bring life to your space and improve air quality. Whether you prefer low-maintenance succulents or statement indoor plants, greenery personalises your home naturally. Just ensure pots have drainage trays to protect floors.

Technology and Smart Home Personalisation

Smart home technology gives you independence and convenience while personalising your living experience. You can add smart speakers like Amazon Echo or Google Home, smart lights controlled by voice or app, and smart plugs that let you control any device remotely. These additions don't require landlord approval as long as installation is non-permanent (no drilling or permanent wiring changes).

Voice-controlled devices support accessibility and independence. Control lights, temperature, music, and more without needing to reach switches or walk across rooms. This technology integrates beautifully with the accessibility features already built into your SDA home.

Your entertainment technology, whether that's TV setup, gaming consoles, or streaming devices, is entirely your choice. Create a gaming setup for socialising with friends online, or install a home theatre system for movie nights. Technology personalisation supports you living independently on your terms.

Internet and connectivity matter for independence. If you need stronger Wi-Fi coverage, you can add mesh networks or personal routers without landlord permission, as long as you're not making permanent changes to the property. Some participants use assistive technology that connects to home systems. You can integrate personal assistive technology with your SDA home's existing features, though the NDIS funds assistive technology separately from SDA housing. For more information about assistive technology funding, see our guide on NDIS Home Modifications.

What You Can Change: Understanding Your Rights

Knowing exactly what you can change without approval versus what requires permission helps you personalise confidently.

What you CAN do without approval:

• Choose and arrange your own furniture
• Add décor items, artwork, and photographs
• Use removable wall hooks for lightweight items
• Install rugs and floor coverings (non-permanent)
• Set up personal technology and smart home devices
• Add window treatments if they're removable (tension rods, not permanent fixtures)
• Personalise with plants, cushions, throws, and soft furnishings
• Display personal belongings that reflect your interests and identity

What requires landlord approval:

• Painting walls or ceilings
• Installing permanent fixtures (shelving, wall-mounted TVs beyond standard hooks)
• Drilling into walls or ceilings beyond small picture hooks
• Making structural modifications or removing existing features
• Planting gardens or making changes to outdoor spaces
• Installing security cameras or permanent monitoring equipment

What you CANNOT do:

• Remove or cover existing accessibility features (grab rails, ceiling hoists, etc.)
• Damage SDA design elements that make the property suitable for specialist accommodation
• Make changes that compromise safety, accessibility, or building compliance

Victorian residential tenancy laws protect your right to request reasonable modifications for disability-related needs. However, the NDIS won't fund modifications to SDA homes because they're already purpose-built with accessibility features. That's different from assistive technology funding, which may cover equipment like specialised furniture or communication devices. Learn more about home modifications and funding from the NDIS.

If you want to paint your bedroom or install permanent shelving, submit a written request to your provider with a clear explanation of what you want to change and why. Some providers may allow it if you agree to repaint or restore the space when you move out. Victorian tenancy laws outline the formal process for requesting modifications.

Making Shared Spaces Your Own

If you live with housemates in shared SDA accommodation, discuss shared space personalisation together. Balancing individual expression with shared living means compromise and collaboration in communal areas like kitchens and living rooms. Your bedroom is your private space where you have maximum personalisation freedom, but common areas belong to everyone.

Respect others' accessibility needs when personalising shared spaces. For example, if a housemate uses a wheelchair, don't place furniture in circulation paths. If someone has sensory sensitivities, discuss lighting and sound choices together. Shared decision-making builds community and supports everyone's independence.

Living with others means negotiation, but it also means creating a home together. Some SDA dwellings are individual units rather than shared houses, so this only applies if you're in shared accommodation. Either way, your private bedroom is fully yours to personalise however you choose.

Practical Tips for Personalising on a Budget

Personalisation doesn't require a big budget. Small touches make a huge difference, and affordable options exist if you know where to look. Start with what matters most to you, whether that's making your bedroom cosy or adding personality to your living space.

Shop at Kmart, IKEA in Richmond, Bunnings in Preston, or browse Facebook Marketplace and op shops for affordable furniture and décor. Removable solutions like Command hooks, peel-and-stick wallpaper samples, and removable vinyl decals let you personalise without permanent changes.

Focus on high-impact, low-cost changes. Cushions cost $10 to $30 and instantly add colour. Plants range from $5 succulents to $30 statement pieces. Artwork doesn't need to be expensive. Print photos at Officeworks or Kmart, frame them affordably, and display memories that matter to you. String lights create ambiance for under $20.

Personal items from your previous home make your new space familiar. Bring your favourite blanket, photographs, collections, or meaningful objects that connect you to your history and identity. Ask family and friends for help with setup and decorating. Their involvement makes the space feel more connected to the people you love.

Conclusion

You have significant freedom to personalise your SDA home within the boundaries of your tenancy agreement. From furniture and décor to technology and thoughtful modifications, you can create a space that genuinely feels like yours. Personalisation supports your wellbeing, independence, and quality of life. It's not a luxury; it's fundamental to making your SDA accommodation feel like home.

Start with small changes and build from there. Check your specific tenancy agreement for any additional guidelines, and remember that your SDA provider wants you to feel at home, not restricted. Making disability housing feel like home takes time, but personalising your SDA home is your right as a tenant and an essential part of independent living.

Explore our available SDA homes across Melbourne to find a property where you can build the life you want.

Got questions about personalising your SDA home? Call us on (03) 9999 7418 or email admin@paramounthomes.com.au. We're happy to talk through your situation, no pressure, just honest answers.