Regulation and rental accommodation for older persons in Queensland.

• Jurisdiction: Australia
• Author: Field, Sue
• Date: 01 January 2003

Much has been written about, and legislated for, older persons in respect of their health, finances and accommodation needs. However, the issue of what happens to those lower income persons who do not own a home on their retirement has not really been canvassed. While these persons may have rented accommodation during their working lives, their reduced income following retirement, a redundancy, or long term unemployment will not usually permit them to continue living in rental accommodation at market rates.

In the past it would appear that as their income has reduced many of these people have moved into cheaper accommodation which may include hostels, boarding houses, subsidized housing or mobile homes. The need to provide inexpensive rental accommodation for older persons, with limited financial means, has been recognised by some developers and resulted in a rapid expansion of the rental retirement village concept. Legislation governing this type of accommodation varies in each jurisdiction. This article addresses the situation in Queensland.

Until August 2002 there was little protection for those persons living in cheaper forms of...