Group Home Certifier in Sydney
Group homes and supported accommodation serve people who need stable, well-run housing, and getting the approval right matters as much as getting the build right. Vast Consulting Group certifies group homes and supported accommodation across Sydney, and because we have worked in construction as well as compliance, we focus on a practical path to approval rather than just pointing out problems. You dream it, we approve it.
How it works in New South Wales
Under the Housing SEPP, a group home can be approved as complying development in permitted zones, generally for up to 10 bedrooms, without needing a full council Development Application. A registered certifier can assess the proposal against the relevant standards and issue a Complying Development Certificate (CDC) where it qualifies. Neighbour notification applies to group home proposals under the Housing SEPP, so the process includes advising nearby residents before work proceeds.
If a project does not meet the complying development standards, for example because of the number of bedrooms, the zoning, or site constraints, it will need a Development Application (DA) to council instead, followed by a Construction Certificate (CC) from a certifier. Once construction is complete, a registered certifier acting as Principal Certifier carries out the critical stage inspections and issues the Occupation Certificate before the home can be used.
The process with Vast
Send us your plans
Send the proposed layout, number of bedrooms and any information about the intended use, so we can check it against the Housing SEPP standards for group homes.
Assessment and neighbour notification
We assess whether the project qualifies as complying development, and manage the neighbour notification process where it applies.
Inspections as Principal Certifier
We carry out the critical stage inspections through construction or fit out, checking the work against the approved plans and the National Construction Code.
Occupation Certificate
Once everything meets the approved plans, we issue the Occupation Certificate so the home can be occupied.
Common issues we solve
Areas we cover
We certify group homes and supported accommodation across the Sydney metropolitan area, including Bayside, Randwick, Inner West, Canterbury-Bankstown, Georges River, Sutherland, Liverpool and Parramatta council areas, and Sydney-wide. Tell us the address and the intended use and we will confirm we can help.
FAQs
What counts as a group home under the Housing SEPP?
A group home is generally housing for people who need support to live independently, occupied by unrelated residents along with any support staff, and it is a defined term under the Housing SEPP. Whether a specific proposal fits the definition depends on its details, so send us the plans and intended use and we will assess it.
Do neighbours need to be told about a group home application?
Yes. Neighbour notification applies to group home proposals assessed as complying development under the Housing SEPP. We manage this step as part of the certification process.
How many bedrooms can a group home have under complying development?
The Housing SEPP commonly allows group homes with up to 10 bedrooms as complying development in permitted zones (check current limits with us). Proposals above that, or outside a permitted zone, generally need a Development Application instead.
Is this different from a supported accommodation building like an SDA property?
It can be. Some supported accommodation falls under the group home provisions of the Housing SEPP, while other projects, particularly larger or purpose-built accommodation, may be classified differently under the National Construction Code. Tell us about the project and the intended occupants and we will confirm the right classification and pathway.
Call our Sydney office on (02) 9821 2062 to talk through your group home or supported accommodation project, or use our Get a free quote page. For Brisbane projects, see our NDIS, SDA and supported accommodation certification page, since Queensland classifications and rules differ.
Send us the drawings. We'll tell you what it takes to get approved.
Unrestricted building surveyors and certifiers. Residential, commercial and industrial. Brisbane and Sydney.
Woolloongabba QLD 4102 (07) 3112 7689 Also serving the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast