Comparison of housing choices for seniors

What's in a name? Retirement villages, lifestyle villages and strata title.

Some complexes use the term 'retirement', 'lifestyle', 'gardens', 'units' or 'apartments' but they can mean different things and don't actually tell you what sort of housing is provided and which laws apply.

The table below will help. We also have a one page comparison table that you can download and print. If you are unsure, please check your contract/agreement.

Retirement village	Residential park	Strata title	Renting	Boarding and lodging	Residential aged care
Includes all types of residential premises whether units, hostels, serviced apartments or other premises for 55s and over who have retired. May use many names, including estate, retirement or lifestyle village	Relocatable home: Home may be a caravan, cabin, park home or motor home. Two types of agreements On-site: a tenant rents both a relocatable home and a site. Site only: a tenant rents only the site and owns the home on the site. Includes mixed-use parks and lifestyle villages for over 45s. May use many names, including 'lifestyle village'.	May be villas, units or apartments. Includes strata schemes for over 55s.	Includes private rentals and social housing (public and community housing).	A boarder generally stays at another person’s house paying rent, with meals or other services (such as cleaning) supplied by the landlord. A lodger generally stays at another person’s house and pays rent but is normally not supplied with meals or other services. A boarder or lodger is entitled to live on the premises but cannot call the place their own – the landlord is in charge of the home.	Includes hostels and nursing homes with high or low care.

Retirement village

Residential park

Strata title

Renting

Boarding and lodging

Residential aged care

Includes all types of residential premises whether units, hostels, serviced apartments or other premises for 55s and over who have retired.

May use many names, including estate, retirement or lifestyle village

Relocatable home: Home may be a caravan, cabin, park home or motor home.
Two types of agreements

On-site: a tenant rents both a relocatable home and a site.
Site only: a tenant rents only the site and owns the home on the site.

Includes mixed-use parks and lifestyle villages for over 45s.

May use many names, including 'lifestyle village'.

May be villas, units or apartments. Includes strata schemes for over 55s.

Includes private rentals and social housing (public and community housing).

A boarder generally stays at another person’s house paying rent, with meals or other services (such as cleaning) supplied by the landlord.

A lodger generally stays at another person’s house and pays rent but is normally not supplied with meals or other services.

A boarder or lodger is entitled to live on the premises but cannot call the place their own – the landlord is in charge of the home.

Includes hostels and nursing homes with high or low care.

Retirement village	Residential park	Strata title	Renting	Boarding and lodging	Residential aged care
Varies between villages from lease for life, licence, purple title or restricted strata ownership. Occupation rights are linked to communal amenities and services in a managed community.	Can buy or rent the property. Residents either rent a home and a site, or rent a site only and own the home on the site. Land is usually leased but there are some strata titled homes in residential parks. Park living may not be a permanent living arrangement and depends on the type of agreement you enter into.	Can purchase or lease property. A strata title is a certificate of title for a lot and a share in the common property in a strata scheme set up under the Strata Titles Act 1985. The strata scheme dictates what you own when you buy a strata titled lot and what is common property.	Rental. Tenants pay rent for exclusive possession of premises.	Rental. May have exclusive occupation of own room and share common areas. The owner may also be living on the property. There may be house rules for living on the premises. Rights and responsibilities are set out in your agreement – boarders and lodgers will have contractual rights under the agreement but are not covered by the Residential Tenancies Act 1987.	Rental. Requires an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) assessment to determine eligibility.

Retirement village

Residential park

Strata title

Renting

Boarding and lodging

Residential aged care

Varies between villages from lease for life, licence, purple title or restricted strata ownership.

Occupation rights are linked to communal amenities and services in a managed community.

Can buy or rent the property. Residents either rent a home and a site, or rent a site only and own the home on the site.

Land is usually leased but there are some strata titled homes in residential parks.

Park living may not be a permanent living arrangement and depends on the type of agreement you enter into.

Can purchase or lease property.

A strata title is a certificate of title for a lot and a share in the common property in a strata scheme set up under the Strata Titles Act 1985.

The strata scheme dictates what you own when you buy a strata titled lot and what is common property.

Rental.

Tenants pay rent for exclusive possession of premises.

Rental.

May have exclusive occupation of own room and share common areas.

The owner may also be living on the property.

There may be house rules for living on the premises.

Rights and responsibilities are set out in your agreement – boarders and lodgers will have contractual rights under the agreement but are not covered by the Residential Tenancies Act 1987.

Rental.

Requires an Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) assessment to determine eligibility.

Retirement village	Residential park	Strata title	Renting	Boarding and lodging	Residential aged care
Entry payment On-going fees for the running of the village If strata or purple title – transfer duty, rates Exit fees, including an often significant fee for residing in the village Deferred Management Fee (DMF) and refurbishment fees Generally involves partial return of the upfront payment (after the exit fees are taken into account). This may include any increase or decrease in the upfront payment amount over residence (in full or in part).	If on-site agreement: ongoing rent for the home and on-going site rent If site only agreement: purchase price of the home and on-going site rent Home maintenance costs Security bond in some cases Prescribed fees Exit fees	Purchase price of the home Transfer duty Rates, strata levies There can be special levies for other maintenance	Security bond Pet bond if applicable Regular rent Other liabilities if agreed in rental agreement, e.g. gardening Payment for damage exceeding fair wear and tear and exceeding the bond amount	Costs must be set out in your agreement	Subject to an income and asset assessment.

Retirement village

Residential park

Strata title

Renting

Boarding and lodging

Residential aged care

Entry payment

On-going fees for the running of the village

If strata or purple title – transfer duty, rates

Exit fees, including an often significant fee for residing in the village Deferred Management Fee (DMF) and refurbishment fees

Generally involves partial return of the upfront payment (after the exit fees are taken into account). This may include any increase or decrease in the upfront payment amount over residence (in full or in part).

If on-site agreement: ongoing rent for the home and on-going site rent

If site only agreement: purchase price of the home and on-going site rent

Home maintenance costs

Security bond in some cases

Prescribed fees

Exit fees

Purchase price of the home

Transfer duty

Rates, strata levies

There can be special levies for other maintenance

Security bond

Pet bond if applicable

Regular rent

Other liabilities if agreed in rental agreement, e.g. gardening

Payment for damage exceeding fair wear and tear and exceeding the bond amount

Costs must be set out in your agreement

Subject to an income and asset assessment.

Possible costs include:

Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD) or Daily Accommodation Payments (DAP)
Daily care fees
Other fees as agreed

Additional information

Retirement village	Residential park	Strata title	Renting	Boarding and lodging	Residential aged care
Rights and responsibilities depend on individual agreements and are different from usual lease or owner rights and responsibilities. On-going fees may still be payable after you exit. Payment of your refund may be contingent on your unit being sold or re-leased.	On-going site rent is payable and there may be exit fees. Structure must be relocatable. If the park is sold and the new owners have asked for ‘vacant possession’ park managers must give tenants on periodic agreements at least 60 days’ notice for anyone with an on-site agreement and 180 days for those with a site-only agreement. Fixed term agreements can’t be terminated without grounds before the contract expires.	There’s likely to be parts of the property that are for your ‘exclusive use’ and parts that are ‘common property’ and these specifics will vary in different situations. You may need to participate in management of the complex.	A tenancy agreement is either for a fixed or periodic term and sets out the conditions of the tenancy. The rent amount may vary from lease to lease in line with market conditions.	Rent may include meals and other services (such as cleaning) or just the room. Rights and responsibilities depend upon individual agreements.Your landlord can end the arrangement without a reason at any time, however must give you ‘reasonable notice’ to leave the premises and take your belongings.	May receive government subsidy. Refundable Accommodation Deposits are generally refundable but Daily Accommodation Payments are not.

Retirement village

Residential park

Strata title

Renting

Boarding and lodging

Residential aged care

Rights and responsibilities depend on individual agreements and are different from usual lease or owner rights and responsibilities.

On-going fees may still be payable after you exit.

Payment of your refund may be contingent on your unit being sold or re-leased.

On-going site rent is payable and there may be exit fees. Structure must be relocatable.

If the park is sold and the new owners have asked for ‘vacant possession’ park managers must give tenants on periodic agreements at least 60 days’ notice for anyone with an on-site agreement and 180 days for those with a site-only agreement. Fixed term agreements can’t be terminated without grounds before the contract expires.

There’s likely to be parts of the property that are for your ‘exclusive use’ and parts that are ‘common property’ and these specifics will vary in different situations. You may need to participate in management of the complex.

A tenancy agreement is either for a fixed or periodic term and sets out the conditions of the tenancy.

The rent amount may vary from lease to lease in line with market conditions.

Rent may include meals and other services (such as cleaning) or just the room.

Rights and responsibilities depend upon individual agreements.Your landlord can end the arrangement without a reason at any time, however must give you ‘reasonable notice’ to leave the premises and take your belongings.

May receive government subsidy.

Refundable Accommodation Deposits are generally refundable but Daily Accommodation Payments are not.

Publications

Retirement village	Residential park	Strata title	Renting	Boarding and lodging	Residential aged care
Retirement Villages information	Residential Parks information	Strata titles information	Renting information	Boarders and Lodgers information	Aged care information

Retirement village

Residential park

Strata title

Renting

Boarding and lodging

Residential aged care

Retirement Villages information

Residential Parks information

Strata titles information

Renting information

Boarders and Lodgers information

Aged care information

Legislation

Retirement village	Residential park	Strata title	Renting	Boarding and lodging	Residential aged care
Covered by the Retirement Villages Act 1992 and if premises are strata titled, the Strata Titles Act 1985. The Associations Incorporation Act 2015 may also apply where the village is run by an association.	Covered by the Residential Parks (Long-stay Tenants) Act 2006, the Strata Titles Act 1985 and the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 and the Caravan Parks and Camping Grounds Act 1995	Covered by the Strata Titles Act 1985 and the Residential Tenancies Act 1987.	Covered by the Residential Tenancies Act 1987.	Covered by common law on contracts.	Covered by Aged Care Act 1997 (Cth) if government funded.

Retirement village

Residential park

Strata title

Renting

Boarding and lodging

Residential aged care

Covered by the Retirement Villages Act 1992 and if premises are strata titled, the Strata Titles Act 1985.

The Associations Incorporation Act 2015 may also apply where the village is run by an association.

Covered by the Residential Parks (Long-stay Tenants) Act 2006, the Strata Titles Act 1985 and the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 and the Caravan Parks and Camping Grounds Act 1995

Covered by the Strata Titles Act 1985 and the Residential Tenancies Act 1987.

Covered by the Residential Tenancies Act 1987.

Covered by common law on contracts.