Welcome to the Retirement Housing Group
The Retirement Housing Group (RHG) is the UK’s leading organisation representing the whole retirement housing sector. It is the only body of its type in the country.
Our members include the largest providers of existing and new retirement housing – including retirement housing with care and retirement housing with support – and we have been operating since 1995. Our members are responsible for the delivery of more than 70% of all the types of retirement housing across all tenures in the UK in the last decade.
Our aim is to improve housing choices for the growing number of older people in the UK and we do this in three key areas: promoting the benefits of retirement housing, providing policy advice to increase its supply and promoting advice and support on standards in the sector.
We work nationally and locally, and our key activities include influencing planning, housing, legal and housing management policy by bringing evidence and solutions to opinion-formers.
Whether you are involved in retirement housing or looking for advice, we hope you will find useful information on this site.
Retirement housing policy
RHG exists to encourage the development of good quality retirement housing. Find out more about what we do.
Advice on retirement housing
Read our advice on selecting the right type of retirement housing for you.
Our members
Find out more about our members
What is retirement housing?
Retirement housing as a term covers many types of purpose-built housing which is specifically designed and operated for older people. These properties can take the form of bungalows, cottages or apartments where people live independently but as part of a community with communal areas and support staff on-hand if needed, or they can take the form of larger village-type communities where care services, leisure facilities and catering venues are all on the same site. RHG aims to promote the benefits of all types of retirement housing so that older people can find the right solution for them depending on their specific circumstances, preferences and finances.
Care homes or residential homes are very often the first that come to mind when thinking of accommodation for older people. Rather than living independently people in residential or care homes often have a room or a suite but not their own kitchen or living area in a conventional sense.
RHG’s primary focus is on retirement housing where people can still live independently in a home of their own rather than care homes which have very different needs and considerations.
Below is a rough guide to what can typically be expected from each type of housing for older people.
Retirement Living
Also known as housing with support, sheltered housing, retirement flats or communities
- Offers self-contained homes for sale, shared ownership or rent
- Age restriction is usually 60+
- Full-time on-site and dedicated manager
- Typical facilities include: communal lounge - laundry facilities - gardens - guest rooms
- Emergency call system and secure entry
- Landscaped grounds
- Typical size: 40-60 homes
Extra Care
Also known as integrated retirement communities, retirement villages, housing with care, assisted living or independent living
- Offers self-contained homes for sale, shared ownership or rent
- 24 hour on-site staff - optional care or domiciliary services available
- Restaurant or cafe available for meals
- Leisure club including - gym, swimming pool, exercise programme
- Social event programme
- Typical facilities include: communal lounge and/or library - laundry facilities - hairdressers - gardens - guest rooms
- Typical size: 60-250 homes
For clarity, retirement housing does not include the following, although it may do this alongside other facilities:
Care Homes
Also known as care homes, nursing homes or old people’s homes
- Communal residential living with residents occupying individual rooms, often with en-suite bathroom
- 24 hour care and support
- Meals included
- Typical facilities include: communal lounge - activities - gardens
- Size varies considerably
Join the Retirement Housing Group
RHG has led on producing industry good practice guidance, codes of practice and toolkits. We continue to act as a collective voice influencing policy nationally and locally. As a member you can be part of this.
We have four main areas of activity:-
- Developing strategic input to national and local policy that affects the retirement housing sector. This is based on our members’ experience.
- Engaging with decision-makers to influence policy issues.
- Publishing reports and briefings on key issues These are available to members to support them in developing their own schemes and practice.
- Developing toolkits for our members. This includes a sector-specific housing needs assessment model enabling assessment of the local level of demand for housing by older people across all tenures.
Membership of the RHG is open to retirement housing developers and housing managers, both Registered Social Landlords and private sector companies. Companies or organisations involved in the building, management and provision of housing-related advice for people of retirement age and over can also be members.