See what a retirement village really costs, before you sign
Every village and care home in New Zealand that Eldernet lists, with the exit fee (deferred management fee), weekly fee and refund terms the listings leave out.
- Fees shown, with sourcesEvery fee links to the page we read it on. Where a village keeps it quiet, we say so.
- Independent, and free for familiesNo village, operator or care home pays to be listed, ranked or left out.
- A real person builds your shortlistTell us the area. We reply within two working days, or call us.
Guides by situation
Questions families askStart from where your family is right now.
Mum or Dad needs care soon
Start with a needs assessment. It decides the level of care and opens the door to funding. Then look for a home with a room free at that level.
Planning ahead for a village
Compare the entry price, weekly fee and exit fee before you fall for a unit, and read the disclosure statement before you sign.
After a hospital stay
Ask the hospital team how a needs assessment referral works in your area. While you decide, look at short stays in a care home and help at home.
Find care by type
Compare the typesWhat each kind of care is, what it costs, and who offers it near you.
Rest home care
24-hour care for older people who cannot live safely at home.639 care homesHospital-level care
For people who need nursing because of illness and disability.524 care homesDementia care
Rest home staffing with another staff member readily available, when the assessment recommends it.270 care homesPsychogeriatric care
Specialist hospital care for people with high needs and, often, challenging behaviours.36 care homesRespite care and short stays
Short-term care in a care home, so a carer can take a break.456 care homesCare suites
A larger room in a care home, usually taken under an occupation right agreement.137 care homesRetirement village living
Your own unit in a village, with an entry price, a weekly fee and an exit fee.491 villagesNot sure which?
For care in a home, a needs assessment decides the level. Compare every type side by side.Compare the types
How it works
How fees workSearch your area
Every retirement village and care home Eldernet lists, by town, suburb or region, with entry prices and exit fees side by side.
See the true cost
An exit fee is the share of what you paid that the village keeps when you leave. We show it, how it builds, and what you get back after 5 years.
Get a free shortlist
Save the places you like, or ask us. A person replies with places that fit, their full costs and the questions to ask.
The numbers
- 491villages listed, and 697 care homes
- 233with the exit fee confirmed, each with its source
- 753units for sale right now, on Eldernet and the largest operators' own sites
- 0 of 544unit listings that mention the exit fee
We read all 544 unit listings on Eldernet on 15 October 2026. Not one says what the village keeps when you leave. Most villages we have checked keep 25% to 30% of what you paid, so on a $600,000 unit a 30% fee means $180,000 stays with the village.
Advice, in plain English
All 8 guidesOccupation right agreements: what you are signing
An occupation right agreement, or ORA, is the contract that lets you live in a retirement village, and the Retirement Villages Act 2003 gives you protections before and after you sign. This guide explains the money terms to ask about, your legal rights, the cooling-off period and the changes announced but not yet law.
Reading a retirement village disclosure statement
A retirement village must give you a disclosure statement before you sign an occupation right agreement, and you have a legal right to it. This guide explains what to look for and how to work through the fees section with a set of plain questions.
What a care home costs
Rest homes and hospitals have a weekly cap on what they can charge for contracted care. From 1 July 2026, across district and city council areas, it runs from $1,513.33 to $1,634.43 a week, and some isolated rural areas have their own, higher rate. This guide explains what the cap covers, what costs extra and how premium room charges work.
Questions families askHow retirement village fees workWhat a care home room costsHelp at home
Get a free shortlist
Tell us the area. A person, not a form letter, replies within two working days with places that fit, what they really cost and the questions to ask each one.
- Free for families. Nobody pays to be listed or ranked.
- A real person replies within two working days.
- We never pass your details on without asking you first.
Prefer to talk? Call us on 0800 000 000