Follow the journey
1. Moving in
Occupation Right Agreement (ORA)
It sets out:
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What you are paying
Before signing, you must receive a Disclosure Statement, and it is required that you get independent legal advice.
What services the village provides
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Financial arrangements at entry and exit
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How the DMF works
When fees start and stop.
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2. Entry Payment (Capital Sum)
To move in, you pay an entry payment, often funded from the sale of your home.
This gives you:
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The right to live in the unit for as long as you choose
Access to facilities
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Security of tenure
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This entry payment is not an investment purchase; it is a licence to occupy
You receive most of it back when you leave, minus the Deferred Management Fee (DMF) and any other agreed deductions.
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3. Weekly fees
Residents pay a weekly fee that covers the running of the village.
This includes:
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Staff and management
Maintenance of buildings and common areas
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Village insurance and rates
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Security, landscaping, and shared facilities
Some villages offer fixed weekly fees, while others adjust annually.
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4. The Deferred Management Fee (DMF)
The DMF is a key part of the village financial model.
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You do not pay it while living in the village
It is only deducted when you leave, and only once your unit is relicensed to a new resident
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Usually capped at 20-30% of your original entry payment
The DMF helps fund long-term capital improvements, shared facilities, and overall village operations.
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5. Leaving the Village
How does it work?
Residents leave a village when:
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Moving into aged residential care
Moving elsewhere
Or when a resident passes away.
Here’s what happens next:
In many villages, weekly fees stop immediately once the unit is vacated
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Others apply a short continuation period - your ORA specifies which applies.
The village may refresh the unit before relicensing it.
This may include:
Carpet replacement
Painting.
The village markets the unit and signs an ORA with a new resident.
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Refurbishment or reinstatement:
Relicensing the unit to a new resident:
6. Repayment
Once the new resident’s entry payment is received, the village repays the outgoing resident (or their estate) the original capital ORA sum less:
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Deferred management fee
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Any permitted refurbishment or deductions
Final repayment.
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