From the end of April the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria (DSCV) will now handle any matters between retirement village residents or management.

Previously this service was provided by Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) while disputes between residents could be taken to DSCV, which is free and confidential.

CAV will still provide advice to village operators, managers and residents on their rights and responsibilities but recommend residents and managers still use the village’s internal dispute resolution process first.

The recent villages.com.au National Resident Survey found 44 per cent of the nearly 20,000 residents who took part didn’t know what the complaints process was for their village so make sure you are aware of how to raise an issue – it’s more likely to be resolved faster and with less stress for everyone involved.