Registered or unregistered: which NDIS cleaners can you use?

It depends on how your NDIS funding is managed. If your funding is NDIA-managed, you can only use registered NDIS providers. If it is plan-managed or self-managed, you can use registered or unregistered providers, including cleaners.

This guide explains the three plan management types, what “registered” means, and what to check before you choose a cleaner. It was checked against official NDIS and NDIS Commission pages on 11 November 2026. These are national rules, so they are the same in NSW and Victoria.

The three ways an NDIS plan is managed

Each part of a plan is managed in one of three ways. You can have more than one type in the same plan, for example self-managing your core supports and having the rest plan-managed.

• NDIA-managed. The NDIA pays providers from your plan and keeps the records. Providers claim through the NDIS provider portal.
• Plan-managed. A plan manager pays your providers’ invoices, keeps records and reports on your spending. Your plan manager must be registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
• Self-managed. You, your nominee or child representative manage the funding. You pay providers and claim from your plan, and you keep the receipts.

You can find which type applies to each part of your funding in your plan, or by asking your my NDIS contact.

Which cleaners each plan type can use

This is what the NDIS says on its own pages.

Plan management	Who you can use	Does the NDIS price limit apply?
NDIA-managed	“You can choose the providers of your NDIS supports, but they must be registered providers.”	Yes
Plan-managed	“You can choose providers who are registered or unregistered.”	Yes
Self-managed	“Flexibility to use both registered and unregistered NDIS providers”	No. You can negotiate prices

Two things follow from this:

• An unregistered cleaner cannot be paid from NDIA-managed funding. The NDIS says, “You can’t use unregistered providers for NDIS supports you have NDIA-managed funding for.”
• Unregistered does not mean no limit. The NDIS says the maximum prices apply to NDIA-managed and plan-managed participants. A plan-managed participant using an unregistered cleaner still has the price limit. For house cleaning that is $60.10 an hour nationally, rising to $64.59 from 1 December 2026.

Why “NDIS approved” is not a real status

Some cleaning businesses describe themselves as “NDIS approved” or “NDIS accredited”. Those are not terms the NDIS uses for providers.

The status that exists is registered. The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission keeps a Provider Register that lists providers registered with it. You can search it by business name, legal name or ABN, and choose the status “Approved” to see providers whose registration is current. The same search also shows providers who have had their registration revoked.

If a cleaner says they are registered, you can check the register yourself in a minute or two. If they use a phrase like “NDIS approved”, ask what they mean: registered with the NDIS Commission, or something else.

Ask any cleaner directly

Do not assume a cleaner’s status from their website, their name or a logo. Ask them, in writing if you can:

1. Are you a registered NDIS provider? If yes, ask for the name and ABN they are registered under, and check the Provider Register.
2. If not, can you work with my plan type? An unregistered cleaner can work with plan-managed or self-managed funding, but not NDIA-managed.
3. Who do you invoice? You, or your plan manager. Ask what each invoice will show: the dates, hours, support and price.
4. What is your hourly price, and is it within the NDIS limit for plan-managed or NDIA-managed funding?

A clear answer to these four questions tells you most of what you need.

What to check about any cleaner, registered or not

Registration tells you one thing about a provider. It is not the only thing that matters when someone is coming into your home. Whatever their status, it is reasonable to ask:

• Worker screening. An NDIS worker screening check assesses whether a worker poses a risk to people with disability. The NDIS Commission says workers of a registered provider need one when they are in a risk-assessed or key personnel role. An unregistered provider can choose to require it, and a self-managed participant can decide that workers they engage need one. Ask whether the cleaner who will visit holds a current check. Checks are valid for up to five years and are nationally recognised, so a check done through the NSW or Victorian screening unit counts in both states.
• Insurance. Ask what insurance the business holds and whether you can see a certificate.
• Who will come. Will it be the same person each time, and will you be told if someone new is coming?
• A written agreement. The NDIS recommends a service agreement when you start with a new provider. It should say what is provided, how, at what cost, how the provider is paid and what happens if something goes wrong.
• Changes and cancellations. Ask how the cleaner handles a visit you need to cancel or move, and put the answer in the agreement.

Making the choice

Start with your plan type, because that decides who you can pay from NDIS funding. Then choose on the things that will matter week to week: whether you trust the person in your home, whether they do things your way, and whether their invoices are clear enough for you or your plan manager to pay without chasing.

The disability home cleaning page explains how Manora Cleaning approaches regular cleaning in people’s homes. You are welcome to put the questions above to us, and you can ask for a quote when you are ready.