The Retirement Villages Association (RVA) is the professional body which represents most retirement villages across New Zealand. Villages choose to become members and pay a fee to belong. In return, the RVA advocates for them in a number of areas, such as:
- Lobbying politicians, helping them understand the sector, raising the profile of retirement villages and the benefits they may offer.
- Providing training and workshops for those who work in retirement villages.
- Supporting formal dispute resolution. While they aren't a formal part of the legislated process (you can view the legislation here), they do have a disciplinary tribunal in place for their members. This means they can support you if you have a complaint about an RVA member village. You can read more about how complaints work in retirement villages in this article.
All RVA members are independently audited to ensure they meet the requirements of the Retirement Villages Act and the Retirement Villages Code of Practice. This is key to the RVA's goal of supporting high standards of living for those who live in a village, and offers an additional layer of confidence if you're considering moving into an RVA village.
It's worth noting that not all registered retirement villages are members of the RVA. If you're considering moving into a non-member village, it's a good idea to take a closer look yourself. Check if they're operating in a compliant manner, and whether the village meets your personal standards.
You can learn more about the RVA on their website. They also run the Retirement Life website which contains ‘good news’ stories about village living.
Updated: 21 Nov 2025