Know if You Are Old Enough to Live in a Retirement Community

You may be young at heart, but are you too young for a retirement community? These communities are great if you want to live among other retired folks, and they often offer amenities like housekeeping, food, and special events just for you! However, these communities do often have admission requirements. The good news is that they usually have some wiggle room here, so don’t sweat it too much if you don’t fit their bill perfectly. As a note, we’re only going to cover retirement communities (aka senior living communities) here, not assisted living communities or nursing homes, since these communities rarely have age requirements.

Steps

Understand standard age restrictions.

1. Most communities are 55+, but there are usually exceptions. While your main consideration may be the age requirement, there are often other rules you might consider as well. Some communities have rules regarding how many vehicles you can have, pets, or income requirements. Even if you do meet their age requirements, make sure you meet the other criteria!
   • Some communities set that line at 62 years of age.

Call a 55+ community and ask for details.

1. It can be hard to find additional requirements online, so call and ask. Most 55+ retirement communities have rules, but they aren’t always listed directly on their website. To find out the requirements easily and quickly, just look the community’s phone number up and call them. Keep a pen and a pad nearby for notes and ask them about their age restrictions and requirements.
   • Explain who you are and what you’re looking for in a retirement community to give them some context.
   • You might say something like, “Hi! My husband and I are scouting out retirement communities. I’m 54 and he’s 58. I was just wondering if we’d qualify for admission?”
   • You might ask questions like, “How old are the other residents there?” or, “Are there any other admission requirements?”
   • Sometimes, what they list online as a “requirement” is really more of a guideline. It never hurts to ask!

Scan the community’s website if you aren't ready to call.

1. Check out their website and send an email if you have questions. You can always check a 55+ community’s website to see if they lay out their admission requirements there. If they don’t and you somehow can’t get a hold of anyone over the phone, see if there’s an email address. If there is, shoot them an email asking for more information.
   • Some websites will have a downloadable brochure explaining everything they offer and who they let in.

Take your spouse’s age in account.

1. Exceptions can be made for younger spouses if one of you is 55. Most age-restricted communities make an exception for spouses. In other words, if a community has a requirement of 55+ and you’re 52, you’re probably going to be fine if your spouse is 57. Even if you see a firm rule regarding age requirements, check to see if they make any exceptions for family members.

Find out if they follow the 80/20 rule.

1. If you're under 55, you might get in if the community follows this rule. The Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995 (HOPA) sets the rules for age-restricted communities. Here’s how it works. If at least 80% of an age-restricted community is 55-years-old or older, anybody can make up the remaining 20%. This is why the common age requirement is 55, and it’s also why these communities often make exceptions!
   • While they do occasionally fill up, most retirement communities have some space available. From their perspective, they want to fill those spaces. Unless they’re close to the 80/20 threshold (which is rare, since working adults aren’t often interested in these communities), there’s no good reason they’d deny you!

Look into lifestyle retirement communities if you're under 55.

1. There are various communities that care more about values than age. If you’re an artist, religious, LGBTQ+, or enjoy a specific hobby (like golf or boating), there’s a community of similarly-minded folks out there for you. Many of these communities are much more relaxed when it comes to age restrictions, and they’ll likely welcome you with open arms if you’re a good fit!
   • These communities can be a little harder to find, so you may need to be a little flexible with where you live if you’re seeking out a unique community.

Inquire about any income restrictions.

1. If a community is subsidized, they’ll often have income restrictions. Subsidized senior housing is exclusively set aside for low-income retirees. Make sure that the community you’re considering doesn’t have any income restrictions, and if they do, make sure you’re under the threshold. In most cases, you have to retire on less than $29,000 a year to qualify.
   • As a rule of thumb, if you have to buy property to live in a retirement community, it’s not subsidized.
   • This isn’t what people are typically talking about when they say “retirement community,” but if the community is in a city and it’s a single building, it can be hard to tell whether it’s subsidized or not.

Ask if they make exceptions if you don’t meet all the criteria.

1. If you really like a community, reach out and ask them to let you in! A lot of retirement communities will make an exception if they like you and have the space. These communities aren’t typically 100% at capacity, and since you usually have to buy property to live there, they won’t stop you from putting money in their pockets if you’re a decent candidate who just happens to not meet a requirement or two.
   • If you’re especially wealthy or you know other people in the community, you may be an attractive resident even if you aren’t technically old enough.

References

See also

• Make a Retirement Gift Basket
• Know How Much to Give for a Retirement Gift
• Make a Retirement Scrapbook
• Use Life Insurance in Your Retirement Planning
• Transfer Retirement Funds to a Roth Ira
• Start a Retirement Home in Ontario
• Retire from a Job You Love
• Prepare for Early Retirement
• Prepare for Retirement in Your 20s
• Plan for Long Term Care

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