Have you considered a Seniors' rental unit?

Renting a senior unit can offer the benefits of retirement village living without the up front costs, or enable you to try before you buy. This makes it accessible for those with limited funds, but it can also be very attractive to those who are not yet ready to buy or those who prefer not to tie up all their savings in a retirement unit. Rental units can also offer more flexibility, making it easier to relocate to be near family or to try a new area before committing to buy a new home there. Some villages offer both units for sale and units for rent, while others are purpose built rental villages.

While prices vary, many rental communities for seniors are specifically geared to those on the age pension. They may offer a level of support such as meals and laundry service, in return for a percentage of the age pension and government rent subsidy for eligible seniors - see Rent Assistance link below for more information.

You can search for senior rental property listings by selecting "rental" in the property search on the front page search, and refine your search by state, area, price etc.  Seniors Housing Online features rental villages operated by Garden Villages in WA, QLD, NSW, VIC and TAS and other rental villages such as Liberty Villas in Queensland.

Or use this quick link to all rental listings by state and area: rental search results.

Government rent assistance is also available to pay the weekly maintenance cost of living in a retirement village for eligible seniors, to help manage the cost of living when you are on a limited budget.  There are also other types of senior communities and villages where rent assistance applies - such as those where you buy a relocatable home and then rent the plot of land it stands on within a village.  These are advertised in the "For Sale" listings.

For more information about eligibility for government rent assistance see this link to the Centrelink website.