Buying into a retirement village is quite different from purchasing a home in the traditional sense. There can be some legal 'fishhooks' to get your head around, the terminology is specialised, and there are important rights and responsibilities that you'll want to fully understand. That's why getting proper legal advice - ideally from someone experienced in retirement village law - is essential.
Below are some helpful questions to guide your thinking and support confident decision-making:
- Have you received independent, specialist legal advice? And do you truly understand it?
- Do you understand the Occupation Right Agreement (ORA) and Disclosure Statement?
- What type of contract are you entering into? Licence to Occupy, unit title, rental, or something else?
- Did you know that you can cancel your ORA within 15 working days of signing? And remember - a verbal agreement isn't legally binding.
- Has everything you've discussed with the village manager/salesperson been added in writing to the ORA?
- What happens if the village is bought by another organisation, closes down, or experiences financial trouble?
Find more helpful articles about how to choose the best retirement village for you on our Knowledge Lab. Alternatively, download our checklist to help you on your search.
Updated: 25 Nov 2025