Questionable AHURI research lends weight to RV ombudsman push, claiming 68% of residents surveyed report disputes with their operators

Research by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) has backed calls for a retirement village ombudsman to settle resident disputes. The free report – which surveyed 855 residents online across NSW, Queensland and Tasmania, interviewed 36 residents, and spoke to 10 professionals including lawyers and village managers – found that just under 70% of respondents had entered into disputes with their village operators, and around 10% had a dispute with other residents. Those interviewed added that their experience dealing with state- and territory-based tribunals found them “inadequate and ineffective” in dealing with their problems, and felt they had little support. The study authors said that dispute resolution laws need an overhaul, and recommended the appointment of a national retirement village ombudsman to this end. The RLC in 2018 indicated its support for an ombudsman in each state, and a Lendlease resident in the ACT last year launched a campaign for the territory to appoint Australia’s first retirement village ombudsman. In our view, however, the report is flawed in many areas, relying on limited samples, desk research and poor understanding of the sector.