Managing a retirement village

This checklist will help you follow the retirement village laws and create a resident-friendly environment.

Compliance with retirement villages laws 

• Understand and comply with:
  • Retirement Villages Act 1992 (WA)
  • Retirement Villages Regulations 2026 (WA)
  • Any other relevant laws, such as Work Health and Safety
• Ensure all residence contracts align with the law and are clear about residents’ rights and obligations

Pre-contract disclosure - changes coming in 2027

• Provide prospective residents with the disclosure statement at least 10 days before signing a contract (under Section 13 of the Act).
• Provide financial details, fees, charges, and termination rights in the pre-contract information.
• Make sure the key terms document (Schedule 1) is provided with all new residence contracts.

Residence contracts 

Ensure resident contracts follow the latest retirement village laws. This includes:

• Description of the services and facilities provided.
• Terms related to exit fees, recurrent charges, renovations and other costs.
• Details of how and when residents can end the contract.
• Information about the cooling-off period (7 working days) and termination conditions.
• Changes are coming to include property condition reports in December 2026.

Financial management

See Retirement village budgets for full details.

• Prepare and present annual financial statements to residents at the Annual General Meeting.
• Hold a budget preparation meeting and a budget finalisation meeting before the end of each financial year for the next year’s budget.
• Provide residents with financial reports, including budgets, recurrent charges, and surpluses.

Conduct rules

• Behaviours standards must be met for operators, residents and visitors. 
• Residents and visitors must follow resident conduct rules. 
• Operators and staff must follow operator conduct rules.

Meetings and resolutions

• Call Annual General Meetings (AGM) within 5 months of the financial year’s end.
• Provide written notice at least 10 working days before any meeting.
• Ensure a quorum is present for meetings.
• Ensure special resolutions are properly managed and documented.

Residents’ committee 

• Support the formation of a Residents’ Committee. Attend when invited.
• Respect the committee's role in representing residents.
• Allow for  decision-making on relevant village issues.

Complaint handling and dispute resolution

• Set up a clear complaint resolution process that follows the Retirement Villages Regulations 2026.
• Make sure residents are aware of their right to take unresolved disputes to the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT).

See Dispute resolution for more information. 

Termination and exit procedures 

• Ensure residents are aware of their rights to end their contract.
• Ensure termination is only done with resident consent or under SAT order.

Changes are coming - property condition reports will be introduced in December 2026.

Leaving costs, exit fees and recurrent charges 

• Clearly explain exit fees in the residence contract, ensuring they are fair and transparent.
• Communicate and calculate recurrent charges accurately. Inform residents of any changes or increases.
• Be clear about what level of renovation or reinstatement is expected when a resident leaves.

Changes are coming - village modifications and resident renovation plans to be introduced in December 2026.

Exit entitlements, aged care payments and buy backs

• Pay residents in a timely manner.
• Handle daily accommodation payments for aged care where applicable.
• Apply for extension or exemption if you need more time. 
• Provide former resident or their representative with an exit entitlement statement, if they are entitled to an exit entitlement.
• See more information on exit entitlement, moving into aged care, buybacks and extensions and exemptions pages.

Maintenance and safety 

• Keep the village well-maintained and conduct regular safety inspections.
• Ensure facilities and services align with what is promised in the residence contracts.
• Follow safety and accessibility standards.
• Changes are coming in 2028 - capital works and maintenance plans will be formalised. 

Notices and documents 

• Ensure all important notices, including financial reports, meeting invitations, and dispute decisions, are provided in writing to residents.
• Keep records of all correspondence, agreements, and resident communications.

Closing a village

• Prepare a termination plan if you are preparing to permanently or temporarily close a village.
• Organise a meeting with residents to discuss termination plan.
• Provide termination plan to residents at least one month before meeting.
• Seek SAT approval to permanently or temporarily close a village.
• Notify and support residents through the process.

See Closing a retirement village for more information.

Prohibited persons 

Certain people are prohibited from running a retirement village unless they have an exemption certificate from the Commissioner. This rule ensures people managing the village do not pose a risk to the residents’ wellbeing and financial interests.

There are guidelines for applicants  which cover the process for getting an exemption.

Reform forms and changes 

The table below shows a list of forms, templates and guidance material being released with each stage of the reforms. The table will be updated as the stages progress.