Other retirement accommodation

Residential aged care facilities

Retirement villages differ from residential aged care facilities (formerly known as nursing homes). These are facilities that provide various levels of supportive care, and are administered and operated under the Commonwealth Aged Care Act 1997. An aged care assessment is required for entry to these facilities.

Residential services (boarding houses and hostels for seniors and aged rental accommodation)

Retirement villages differ from supported residential service facilities, such as private boarding houses and hostels for seniors and aged rental accommodation. These other facilities provide rental accommodation and, in some cases, personal care to older people and people with disabilities.

They may also provide special services, such as meals, linen, cleaning, assistance with medication, showering and finances, for a contracted weekly payment.

Residential service facilities are regulated by the Residential Services (Accreditation) Act 2002. They are privately operated and do not receive government funding.

Residential, lifestyle or manufactured home parks

Residential or lifestyle parks are also known as a manufactured home parks and are often marketed as ‘Over 50s lifestyle resorts’. Previously, manufactured home parks were called mobile home parks.

Residential parks are targeted towards seniors and retirees. Once a purely affordable housing option, residential parks now cater to a broader section of the housing market. Residents own their 'manufactured home', that is the building itself, but not the land on which it sits. Therefore, residents must pay a regular site rent to the park owner.

Residents of new homes usually buy them from the park owner, whereas later residents usually buy from an existing resident.

Manufactured homes are regulated under the Manufactured Homes (Residential Parks) Act 2003.

More information

Last updated:: 9 November 2018

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