At Ocean Gardens, we understand the significance of your decision, but rest assured – while this is new to you, we’ve been guiding people thought life’s next stage since the 1980s.
What we’ve learnt in our time is that knowledge is what really matters. When you have a clear mind about what you’re giving up and what you’re gaining, making the move, when you’re ready, will feel right.
We know you have a lot of questions, so we’ve answered a list of the most commonly asked below. We hope we can shine a light on this exciting time for you and change your view on life’s next stage.
Anyone who can live independently and is over 55 years of age can live in a retirement village, whether you are retired or still working.
Our apartments and villas are occupied on a ‘lease for life’ basis so you will not own your home outright. Details of these arrangements can be found in your lease, or are available from our Sales Manager.
Yes you can, these changes would just need to be approved by the General Manager to ensure the relevant building standards and regulations are met.
When leaving, residents pay an exit fee, or Deferred Management Fee (DMF), which is a percentage of the new incoming contribution (house price).
The DMF is designed to keep the incoming contribution lower, allowing residents to defer their contribution to the costs of setting up the village and its facilities until later.
Yes, all of our common areas are available to book out for private functions if you are wanting to host friends or family for special events. You will just need to book through reception and make sure you clean up afterwards.
Yes you can, this is your home. Friends and family are welcome to stay with you on a ‘short stay’ basis (not more than 2 weeks continuous).
Other residents appreciate knowing their neighbours, so in the interest of maintaining harmony within the village we ask that you let the General Manager know when you will have guests staying.
Units are allocated car parking which will be specified in the lease agreement. Visitor car parking is also available throughout the village.
To ensure the comfort of all residents, pets must be approved by the General Manager before you move into Ocean Gardens. New residents may be permitted to bring their present pet with them. Approval given would be subject to withdrawal if the pet proved to be a nuisance.
Use of all community facilities at the village, including croquet lawn, swimming pool, gym, putting green, bowling green, restaurant, lawns, gardens, roads, paths and external lighting
- External maintenance of apartments, villas and premium apartments
- Maintenance of the village grounds including all gardens
- Administration, management and 24 hour emergency call system facility, as well as security within the village
- All local authority services including library, refuse collection, etc
These amenities are provided free of charge to residents.
Additional optional services are provided for residents at Ocean Gardens on a ‘fee for service’ basis.
These services include laundry, cleaning, programmed personal care, shopping, restaurant dining or meal delivery, hairdressers, podiatrist, kiosk, photocopying and secretarial services.
New residents are provided with a comprehensive ‘Welcome Pack’ describing all the amenities and services available and where applicable, the charges. These details are contained in the sales material included in this folder.
At Ocean Gardens we have a 24-hour care service and emergency call system monitored by our own care services team. All the costs of monitoring and maintaining the emergency call system are included in the operating costs.
Residents will require the connection of a telephone line in order to use the emergency call system, with the cost of the line being the responsibility of the resident. Residents who activate the emergency call system will receive an account for services provided by staff responding to the call.
If immediate hospitalisation or nursing care is required and a doctor is not present, the ambulance would normally take you to the closest public hospital, which is Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital or Royal Perth Hospital.
In the case of hospitalisation or the need for nursing care, it is expected that Ocean Gardens would/may give approval for an extended absence provided the operating costs are paid as they become due and payable. The lease would remain in the name of the resident until termination, either voluntarily or by default.
Transperth Bus Services are available on Kalinda Drive and The Boulevard and taxis are available upon request. There are a number of designated pick-up points around the village to which taxis can be called.
Ocean Gardens also has a 12-seat bus which is used for outings, social purposes and transport of a similar nature. There are scheduled trips to Karrinyup, Innaloo and Floreat Forum shopping centres. A small charge is made for all trips as the bus service is self-funding.
Ocean Gardens also has a shared vehicle available for use by residents, free of charge.
The lease term is for the lifetime of a resident, or where there is more than one resident, during the lifetime of the surviving resident. Please note that the surviving resident would need to be a party to the lease.
Amounts payable by the resident to enter Ocean Gardens are:
- The cost of purchasing the lease of the particular selected unit (lease bond)
- The lease bond may include a carport for exclusive use of the resident
- An administration fee to cover the cost of processing lease documentation, preparing statements and settlement
When you move into Ocean Gardens it is your responsibility to connect all of your utilities including gas, electricity and telephone.
The operations budget is designed so that the fees paid by residents over the year will meet the operating costs. If a surplus did arise it would be applied to reduce costs in the ensuing year.
Under the Retirement Village Act 1992, any surplus must be incorporated into the following year’s Operating Costs budget. The residents may, by a special resolution, approve the application of the whole or part of the budget surplus for any other purpose or purposes that is or are generally of benefit to the residents of Ocean Gardens.
Each month residents will be required to pay to Ocean Gardens the ‘operating costs’ attributable to their particular unit. The operating costs of the village comprise those items of expenditure defined in the lease.
The Annual Budget is prepared in consultation with representatives from the Residents’ Association and recovery rates are prescribed to yield during the year from the residents the estimated cost of maintaining and running the village.
Rates payable to the Water Authority, the local council and any other rates and taxes imposed, are billed to each resident separately.
Ocean Gardens insures the buildings and common areas of the village, the cost of which comes out of residents’ ‘monthly service fee’. Residents are required to cover the cost of contents or personal valuables insurance to cover personal belongings and furnishings inside their home.
Ocean Gardens is fully insured for replacement as a result of any of the prescribed risks, and the lessee’s rights relating to destruction or damage to a unit is outlined in Clause 12 of their lease document.
Yes. It is a requirement of the lease agreement that Ocean Gardens must be satisfied that intending residents are capable of living on an independent basis. A letter from your General Practitioner is required stating that you are capable of living independently.
As a resident, you can speak to the relevant staff member or the General Manager. There is also a Residents’ Association which operates on behalf of the residents or you may go through dispute resolution and complaint processes with the relevant state regulatory authority.
Yes. Ocean Gardens has been granted accreditation by the International Retirement Community Accreditation Scheme (IRCAS) which is due to expire in March 2021.