The Retreat

Hometown Land Lease Communities: Communities, Care and Locations Across New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria

Hometown offers land lease living across New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria, with 65+ communities, and Hometown Australia was established in 2016. Find a Hometown community near you below, or read on for costs, care details and what sets Hometown apart. The sections below explain how the land lease model works, what living in a community involves day to day, and which questions are worth asking before you decide.

Quick facts

About Hometown

Hometown's network covers four states: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria. Because the network spans several states, you can compare communities in different regions rather than being limited to a single address. Homes range from newly built to pre-loved, so you can choose the style that suits you as well as the location. That choice matters when you are downsizing, because the right home is usually a balance between size, style, budget and the area you want to live in.

Residents own their home and lease the land it sits on. On-site managers run each community and maintain the shared facilities, so there are no body corporate fees. That leaves you more time for friends, family and the activities you enjoy. It is still worth asking each community exactly which facilities the on-site managers look after and how the arrangement works, so that you know what to expect before you commit.

Hometown Australia is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hometown America, a US operator with a trusted reputation. Knowing who owns an operator is a useful part of any decision of this size, because it tells you who stands behind the community you are considering.

Costs & fees

For a current price, call Hometown directly on (02) 9276 6000 or enquire through the listing for the community you're interested in. When you speak to the team, ask what the ongoing site fee covers and what is included in the price of the specific home you are looking at. Asking for the details in writing makes it easier to compare options and to talk them through with family or an adviser before you make a decision.

Care & lifestyle services

Hometown communities are designed for ageing in place, so you can stay independent in your own home for longer. For many people, that is the main appeal of this style of living: you keep your independence and your own front door while moving into a setting that is simpler to look after. They appeal to active residents who initially need minimal care and support. If you expect your needs to change over time, it is worth thinking about how you would arrange help at home, since care and support are not included.

Hometown communities are lifestyle and land lease communities, not aged care homes. If you want to know how residents arrange support at home, ask the community team when you visit. Questions about support, visitors and daily routines are best put to the people who run the community, because they can tell you how things work there.

Shared facilities include pools and tennis courts, varying by community, so check what each one offers before you visit. Some communities add cafes and village buses, and the mix varies by community. The listings are the best place to see what each community actually has, and visiting in person will show you how those spaces are used.

What makes Hometown different

You buy your home and lease the land it is built on, and you keep 100% of the capital gain when you sell. There are no exit fees, so the result of your sale stays with you. For anyone planning a move, those points can shape the overall cost of downsizing as much as the lifestyle features do. Home prices are published openly, so you can see what is on offer before you pick up the phone. Seeing prices up front makes it easier to build a shortlist, set a budget and decide which communities are worth a visit.

With 65+ communities across four states, you can compare locations and home styles within one network, which can save you from starting your search again if the first community you visit is not quite right. 15,000 homeowners now call Hometown communities home, so there are plenty of residents you could speak to about what living in one is really like.

Last updated: October 2026.