Retirement Villages' Residents' Council

Representing retirement village residents

Learn more

Kia ora,  Welcome... 

The Retirement Villages' Residents' Council is an independent body representing the collective interests of retirement village residents in Aotearoa, New Zealand.


We strive to be an inclusive environment where resident concerns can be addressed, opinions can be given, ideas can be shared, and decisions made.

We provide an opportunity for retirement village residents to share and express their independent views to retirement village stakeholders.

Retirement villages in numbers

491

The number of retirement villages  in Aotearoa, New Zealand

43,500

The number of units within retirement villages in Aotearoa, New Zealand

56,677

Estimated number of retirement village residents in Aotearoa, New Zealand

Council objectives

We have five key objectives for the Council - effective communication, supporting the the implementation of best practices, to put the interests of residents at the heart of every decision, to act as a conduit between residents, management and Retirement Villages Association members and to seek opportunities for positive change on issues that affect retirement village residents.

Learn more

Council structure

The Council currently has 7 council members including a chairperson.


Its terms of reference provide that the Council at any one time, can consist of between 10 and 20 residents who are interested in actively participating in representing their fellow residents of retirement villages.


Our Council members have all been selected by the Chairperson from candidates nominated  by retirement village residents' committees or other residents.

See our terms of reference

News

22 June 2026
Here’s the latest update from the Retirement Commissioner, who “monitors the effects of the Retirement Villages Act 2003” and receives formal complaints data every six months. Complaints Trends (Oct 2025 – Mar 2026) Key points from October 2025 – March 2026: 289 complaints were received — “up 10% from the previous period’s 262 but lower than 2024 and 2023.” 83% were resolved , an improvement on the previous 81%. 89% of registered villages reported , representing 450 of 504 villages. 70% of villages had no complaints , slightly down from 72%. Top complaint categories: Service quality (20%) Resident behaviour (15%) Maintenance/repairs (12%)  73% of complaints were resolved within 20 working days , showing steady responsiveness across the sector. This data helps residents, families, and operators understand where improvements are being made — and where more attention is needed.
17 June 2026
Council Member Tom Parsons writes an article: Understanding the facts behind the headlines. Read the full article here
25 May 2026
Council Member Denise Whitehead has written a series of articles on Retirement Village Choices. You can read all three articles here