New laws updating the Retirement Villages Act 2016 and the Retirement Villages Regulations 2017 start on 2 February 2026.
This information explains how the changes will apply during the transition period. For full details, refer to Schedule 1 of the Retirement Villages (Miscellaneous) Amendment Act 2024.
Resources about the changes
- For retirement village operators (538.4 KB PDF)
- How will the new laws affect retirement village operators (985.2 KB PDF)
Video
Residence contracts
If a prospective resident receives all required documents under section 22 before 2 February 2026, the existing version of section 20 will continue to apply.
Disclosure statements
If a disclosure statement is provided before 2 February 2026, the current version of section 21 will apply.
Holding deposits
The new rules under section 25A will only apply to deposits paid on or after 2 February 2026.
Exit entitlements
Changes to section 27 (which shorten the time for paying exit entitlements) apply to all residents, regardless of when they signed their contract.
However, the previous version of section 27 will still apply if, before 2 February 2026, the resident:
- moved out of the village, or
- gave notice to the operator under section 27(2)(b)(ii).
Recurrent charges
The new section 31A applies to all residence contracts, no matter when they were signed.
Dispute resolution (SACAT)
Changes to section 46 apply to all residents, regardless of when they entered into their contract.
Terminating a village scheme (Supreme Court)
Changes to section 58 (subsections 2a to 2f) only apply to cases started on or after 2 February 2026.
Prosecution time limits
The new section 65A applies only to offences where the conduct occurred after 2 February 2026.
Contact the Retirement Village Unit
Email: retirementvillages@sa.gov.au
