Retirement village resale traps

UK retirement villages often charge high monthly service fees and ground rents, then require heirs to sell the lease when residents die or enter care. About half of these homes reportedly sell at a loss and can take months or years to sell, while families remain liable for council tax and ongoing fees. — This highlights a structural consumer‑protection gap in elder housing that shifts risk onto families and suggests a need for standardized contracts and exit‑fee regulation as societies age.