Half of UK homeowners would consider retirement communities – but lack of local options holding people back
Blueprint New Zealand: What People Want reveals strong public backing for key features of New Zealand-style housing-with-care schemes - known in the UK as 'Integrated Retirement Communities' - such as fixed monthly fees.
Strong demand – but supply falling short
The research shows clear appetite for specialist housing among homeowners:
- 51% of homeowners would consider specialist housing for themselves
- 53% would consider it for a family member
- Even among over-75s, 41% would consider moving
However, supply is not keeping up with demand:
- 53% of interested homeowners say there are not enough suitable homes in their local area. Regionally, homeowners in the Midlands (51%), East of England (50%), and Scotland (48%) are most likely to say there are not enough specialist homes for older people, compared with 35% of homeowners in the South East.
This gap highlights a significant opportunity to expand provision and better meet the needs of an ageing population.
What homeowners want: certainty, support and simplicity
The research identifies the top three things homeowners say would make later-life housing more attractive:
- Simplicity - operators taking on full risk and responsibility for maintenance and investment
- Certainty - fixed monthly fees that rise only with inflation
- Reassurance - dedicated consumer regulation to protect residents
Interestingly, only 6% say variable service charges would make retirement housing more attractive.
Services: Safety and healthcare are top priorities
When it comes to services, practical support and peace of mind dominate. The top three services homeowner say will make retirement housing more attractive are:
- A staff member onsite 24/7 for emergencies
- Access to healthcare and wellness services
- Guaranteed personal care if needed
These findings reinforce the importance of housing models that integrate care, community and support, such as Integrated Retirement Communities.
Toward a Retirement Occupancy Lease
The research findings support proposals to expand UK provision of Integrated Retirement Communities drawing on successful international models such as New Zealand. Around 15% of over-75s in New Zealand already live in this type of housing and two of the three largest housebuilders are retirement village operators.
ARCO has previously published innovative tenure proposals to deliver on its Blueprint New Zealand vision for the Integrated Retirement Community sector. ARCO's plans for a 'Retirement Occupancy Lease' reproduces key features of New Zealand's contract-based tenure for housing-with-care and could be a stepping-stone toward it.
Commenting on the research findings, Paula Higgins, CEO of HomeOwners Alliance says:
"What stands out is that people want certainty and support: fixed costs, professional management and access to care. If we are serious about helping people live well for longer, we need to see a New Zealand step-change in the supply of high-quality housing-with-care.
The HomeOwners Alliance is very interested in ARCO's proposals for a Retirement Occupancy Lease. We particularly like the idea of all providers of new housing-with-care having 'skin in the game' when it comes to resale prices.”
Michael Voges, Chief Executive of ARCO said:
“Britain urgently needs more high-quality housing-with-care for older people. This research shows homeowners want more choice, more certainty and more support in later life — but provision is still falling far short.
“Expanding Integrated Retirement Communities would not only give older people better options to live independently with care and support close at hand, it would deliver major benefits for the whole country.
Matching New Zealand’s level of provision could help deliver 600,000 new homes, save the NHS £2 billion a year, and reduce social care costs by £1.2 billion annually. One way to do this would be to allow operators in the UK use a bespoke New Zealand-style tenure model, the Retirement Occupancy Lease, which could be a stepping-stone to a full, New Zealand-style contract-based model in future.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
Methodology
This is the 10th annual Homeowner Survey. The latest research was conducted by Opinium on behalf of HomeOwners Alliance and the Associated Retirement Community Operators surveying a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults aged 18+ between 13-18 February 2026 including 1,233 homeowners and 554 aspiring homeowners.
About the HomeOwners Alliance
The HomeOwners Alliance hoa.org.uk is a property advice website that provides expert advice, tools and services for all the key moments of buying, selling or owning a home. We are on the side of homeowners and campaign on a raft of issues and report on homeowner trends and homeowner’s greatest concerns.
About ARCO
ARCO is the national membership body for charity, not-for-profit and private operators of modern housing-with-care schemes, known as Integrated Retirement Communities (IRCs). ARCO provides a voice for the sector with government and sets standards for the sector via the ARCO Consumer Code, which has been approved under the Chartered Trading Standards Institute’s Approved Code Scheme. For more information, see: arcouk.org
About Integrated Retirement Communities (IRCs)
IRCs are modern housing-with-care schemes for older people – modern because they embrace a holistic approach to services, facilities, community and wellbeing. All IRCs include:
- 24/7 on-site support
- A restaurant/bistro/café, usually with a bar
- Individual units with their own front door, kitchen and lounge
- Communal facilities such as gyms, craft rooms, lounges and gardens
- Personal care at home if it is required.
The average age people move into an IRC in the UK is around 80 and the average duration of residence is eight years.
In addition to the features above, IRC operators offer deferred management fees (sometimes known as ‘event fees’ or ‘exit fees’) in order to enable lower monthly management fees and take on long-term responsibility for maintenance and investment.
Unlike traditional retirement housing (which typically use variable service charges and a sinking fund), deferred management fees give operators a direct financial incentive in the resale value of a scheme ('skin in the game'). Independent evidence shows that the use of deferred management fees supports positive resale values.
Building on the lessons of New Zealand’s system of ‘occupational rights agreements’, the Retirement Occupancy Lease would reorient the legal framework for the IRC sector away from static leases toward legal arrangements that can be updated for every new resident.
From a legal perspective, the Retirement Occupancy Lease could be implemented by mandating the use of key clauses via statutory regulation. The ROL would have the following key features:
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Mandatory fixed management charges removing risk from residents
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Enhanced consumer protection including new routes to redress
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Updated legal agreements for each new resident that are afforded higher protections in law
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Aligned interests on resales – operators take on a direct financial stake in the resale value of schemes (‘skin in the game’, aligning their interest with residents.
ARCO has published its proposals in a briefing entitled “The Retirement Occupancy Lease: Applying international best practice to housing-with-care”, which is available to download on the ARCO website.
About New Zealand Retirement Villages
There are approximately 491 retirement villages across the country, providing over 43,500 units. An estimated 56,000+ New Zealanders live in retirement villages.
The sector is led by six operators who represent over half of the total units in the country: Bupa, Metlifecare, Oceania Healthcare, Arvida, Ryman Healthcare and Summerset Group:
Most New Zealand villages operate on an Occupation Right Agreement (ORA) model:
- License to Occupy: Residents typically do not ‘own’ the real estate; they purchase the right to live in the unit for their lifetime.
- Deferred Management Fee (DMF): When a resident leaves, the operator usually retains 20% to 30% of the original purchase price as a management fee.
- Capital Gains: In most standard contracts, any capital gain on the unit stays with the operator, though some modern contracts now offer ‘capital gain share’ options.
The Retirement Villages Act 2003 is the main law regulating retirement villages in New Zealand. Its core purpose is to protect residents and prospective residents while creating a clear legal framework for how retirement villages operate. The Act:
- Requires retirement villages to be officially registered
- Sets rules for “occupation right agreements” (the contracts residents sign).
- Requires operators to give clear disclosure information before someone moves in.
- Creates a mandatory “Code of Residents’ Rights”
- Establishes dispute resolution processes for residents and operators.
- Requires independent statutory supervisors to oversee villages.
Contact
Paula Higgins
Chief Executive
HomeOwners Alliance
07947 240 293
James Lloyd
Director of Policy and Communications
ARCO
07535 088498
