Public comment is being sought on the draft version of a new national Retirement Living Code of Conduct which all retirement village owners and operators will be encouraged to sign up to as part of their commitment to delivering great experiences for older Australians.

Ben Myers, Executive Director – Retirement Living at the Property Council, said the release of the draft was the final step in developing and implementing the new Code.

“The Retirement Living Code of Conduct covers all aspects of a resident’s experience in a retirement community: from signing the contract to move in, right through until the resident’s unit or apartment is re-sold,” Mr Myers said.

“Before we implement the Code, we wanted to ensure everyone had a chance to see the standards the industry is setting and provide feedback to us, so we can ensure it is as strong a document as possible.”

The Code is supported by the three peak bodies representing retirement living owners and operators; the Property Council of Australia, Leading Age Services Australia (LASA) and Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA).

CEO of Leading Age Services Australia Sean Rooney said the Code is vital for the industry to set a high level of standards for the marketing, selling and operation of retirement communities, to promote and protect the interests of residents, and provide a clear framework for resolving disputes within a community.

“Once the Code is finalised, our three organisations will promote it to the more than 3000 retirement communities across the country and be strongly encouraging them to sign up and commit to the standards, to demonstrate their commitment to their residents,” Mr Rooney said.

If anyone wants to read the draft Retirement Living Code of Conduct and provide their comments, they can do so via the Property Council, LASA or ACSA websites. Consultation closes on Friday 20 July.