Retirement Villages complaints and disputes

Complaints policy and process

All retirement villages must have a complaints policy and process. Your operator should provide you a copy of this.

Residents can make a complaint to the operator about the operation of the village or another resident. Conversely an operator can make a complaint about a resident. 

If you lodge a verbal or written complaint, your operator should resolve your complaint in 20 working days. However, not all complaints can be dealt with within this period. Your operator could ask for a time extension which you can choose to accept or decline. 

If you are not satisfied with the outcome, the way the complaint was handled, or a time delay, you can go to dispute. 

Disputes

A dispute is heard by an independent adjudicator, approved by the Retirement Commissioner but appointed by your operator.

There may be a pre-hearing for the adjudicator to fully understand the issues. 

Following a hearing, the dispute outcome is made public and available on the Retirement Commission website.

You have the right to have a support person during both the complaint and dispute processes. If you choose to use a lawyer or solicitor, you must pay the costs. 

The Act does not allow operators to pass on the costs of a dispute to residents. The operator must pay the costs of the dispute, including the adjudicator’s fees.

The adjudicator may award costs in favour of the party that wins the dispute. The party that did not win would pay these costs.