Retirement villages

A retirement village is a residential complex for retirees who have entered into a contract with the operator of the complex.

Before you choose a village, learn about the rights of residents, the rules for operators and where to get help if you have a dispute.

Choosing and living in an ACT retirement village

Read the Retirement villages handbook for guidance on:

choosing a retirement village: a checklist, types of villages and how they work
information you should get before you sign an agreement
contracts: what villages can and cannot include, cooling-off and settling-in periods, and ending the contract
fees and charges
living in a retirement village: maintenance, repairs, rights and obligations
disputes: resolving them and getting help.

To find a village that operates under the Retirement Villages Act, go to the Register of Retirement Villages.

If you have a complaint or dispute, you can get help to resolve it. This may include one or more of these steps:

talking to the retirement village operator
getting help from a third party organisation
giving a ‘notice of dispute’ to your village disputes committee to resolve the dispute or arrange mediation
contacting Access Canberra or the ACT Human Rights Commission for information
applying to the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal to settle the dispute.

For more information about these options, read the Retirement villages handbook (PDF 4.7MB).

ACT retirement villages must follow the ACT Retirement Villages Act 2012.

The Act:

The Act does not apply to facilities on the grounds of retirement villages that include:

respite care buildings
employee accommodation
residential premises, where the operator and resident have a residential tenancy agreement under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997, (and the agreement contains a term to say that the Retirement Villages Act does not apply to the premises).

We administer the laws and regulations for retirement villages. This includes:

We do not: