A retirement village is a community of people, with homes and amenities designed to cater to the needs and lifestyle of those aged 55 and over, or who have retired from full-time employment. People who reside in retirement villages generally live independently in their own homes, with added support from the village team.

A retirement village is a community built for older people who are more active and independent. If you are able to live on your own and would just like a bit of support from time to time, a retirement village is more suitable.  

An aged care centre (also known as a nursing home, aged care home or residential aged care) is designed for people who require a higher level of care. If you can no longer live on your own and need help with daily activities, an aged care centre is the right choice. In aged care centres, there is 24/7 support with everything taken care of by staff, from personal assistance and medication to meals and laundry. 

• Visit the village in person to get an in-depth feel for it, don’t just look online 
• Choose one that is close to what you love, for example, where your closest family and friends live, your favourite social spots and cafes 
• The proximity to health services and public transport 
• The attitude of the staff towards the residents – this sets the overall tone of life at the village  
• The condition of the buildings and gardens
• The associated costs - make sure the arrangement is right for your circumstances  

Our apartments and villas are spacious, comfortable and practical. We offer real homes with dedicated village teams, not luxury resorts with facilities you may never use but still need to pay for. Because our homes are reasonably priced, you have the freedom to choose how you spend your time and money.

We have a range of apartments and villas with different styles, layouts and sizes that vary across NSW and Queensland.

No, The Salvation Army will own your home in the village, but you have a licence to occupy the home for as long as you choose.  

We operate under a licence contract which means there is a contractual right allowing a resident to occupy an apartment or villa and use shared facilities, without owning the property title. The village operator retains ownership, and the resident pays an upfront ‘ingoing contribution’ (the purchase price of the property) on the agreed settlement date, along with ongoing recurrent charges to maintain a village’s services and amenities. 

If you choose to leave the retirement village, your ingoing contribution will be refunded minus the deferred management fee.  

This is applicable at Macquarie Lodge Retirement Village (Arncliffe, NSW), Warringah Place Retirement Village (Collaroy, NSW), Woodport Retirement Village (Erina, NSW) and Riverview Gardens Retirement Village (Riverview, QLD).

We offer a rental model at Shaftesbury Court Retirement Village in Burwood, NSW. 

The cost of moving into a retirement village generally consists of the following: 

1. Ingoing contribution: This is the purchase price and a one-off payment paid on settlement (including deposits) 
2. Monthly recurrent charges (NSW only): This covers the ongoing costs of running the village. This charge includes a Capital Works Contribution, which covers capital maintenance (for e.g. external painting) and various other items.
3. Monthly General services charges (QLD only): This covers the ongoing costs of running the village. A monthly maintenance reserve charge is also applied to maintain the village with repairs, servicing of items and capital maintenance.
4. Deferred Management Fee: This is a fee that you will pay when leaving a retirement village. This is equivalent to 10% per year for the first three years of residence and is capped at 30% thereafter. 

You can learn more about retirement village costs and contracts here.

Capital gain refers to any increase in the value of your residence when you leave the retirement village. The arrangements differ depending on the village and their varying price points. 

For full details, we encourage you to review the contract for your chosen village and seek independent financial and legal advice.

The only Salvation Army retirement village that offers rental homes is Shaftesbury Court, located in Burwood, NSW, under a current 12-month lease term.  

Your rights as a resident in a Salvation Army retirement village are: 

• To live in your premises without interference by anybody to your reasonable peace, comfort and privacy 
• The ability to exercise self-reliance and autonomy in matters relating to your personal, domestic and financial affairs 
• To decide what possessions to have in your premises 
• To live in an environment free from harassment and intimidation 
• To appoint an agent to receive notices and other documents on your behalf 
• To be given proper notice of any variations in your recurrent charges 
• To access any information about yourself/yourselves held by the operator 
• To stand for election if the retirement village has a resident committee 
• To attend and vote at any meetings of residents 
• A group of residents or the residents’ committee may request the operator to propose a variation in the services and facilities provided at the retirement village, or an amendment to the retirement village rules.

All of our retirement villages have village rules and regulations. Residents must comply with these rules and ensure that anyone you invite into the village also complies.

Yes, we have a Maintenance Officer on site at each retirement village who can assist with all maintenance requests within your apartment, as well as around the village.