Thinking of moving into a retirement community? Then you might be wondering how the 55+ rule actually works. We’re giving you a run down on how the law applies to you.
If you’re looking at retirement communities they are probably consider 55 and over communities. For some people, this is a great option for retirement. For others, it can be an issue if they have people younger than 55 living with them.
In Florida 55+ communities there is a federal law that governs all our age-restricted communities. According to this law, at least 80 percent of the occupied units must have at least one resident who is 55 years of age or older.
Anyone else living in the home can be no younger than the minimum age established for the community. Most commonly, that age is 45. This means that no one in the community can be younger than 45.
Now, this does not meant that you can’t have people younger than the minimum age visit. If your grandchildren come down, most communities will allow guests of any age for up to 15 days 2 times per year.
In general, you’ll find that 55+ communities are active, exciting and full of new friends. There are lots of options across the nation, so you’ll have to research to see what’s best for you. We can get you started with great homes for sale in our communities across the state of Florida. Visit www.NewbyRealty.com to see what’s available.
It’s interesting to learn that there are these communities that are specifically made for adults age 55 and up where they can live an active, exciting, and healthy life among their peers as no age lower than 45 is allowed to live there. That sounds like a dream come true as that would mean I would no longer have to be a burden to my children anymore as they have their own families. I’ll wait for my wife to reach her 45th birthday and start moving into a 55+ community near our place so that we can enjoy life among our peers. Thanks!
You will love the lifestyle! Have a wonderful day, Jeremy! Let us know if we can help once you start researching.
Do you have to be 55 when you take residency? For example, I’ll be 55 next September. Can I move into a 55+ community in January since I will be 55 next year?
thanks
Erica, this all depends on what the community rules state. Your best bet would to be to call the community and ask them if their rules allow for that. If you have any questions about our communities you can give Newby Realty a call at 941-479-2849!
I live in a 55 plus community. We were just bought out by Sun community this year. Question is, is that they will be having the community manager living on site. She has 2 teenage boys that will be living with her. The park says that this is allowed because she is an employee of the park and not a resident. Is this allowable under Florida or Federal law?
Keith, it should be allowable under the law. We are not a law firm though so you will want to check with a lawyer for a legal opinion.
My fiancé has lived (and is living) in a park that is 55+ that Newby Management handles with his aging parents. He is currently 50 as am I. My question is, there is a home in their community that is FSBO and we would love to buy it and move in to be just a few doors down from them. His father is ailing and has fallen several times during the night, his mother is also aging and has a difficultly lifting him. It would be ideal for us to be so close. He (my fiancé) has lived with them now for 7 years and is well known in the community. I totally understand the reasoning for the 55+ but, is there any way to see about an exception? And if so, how would we go about it? Can this issue be brought to the board for special consideration? I appreciate your feedback. Thanks so much Stacey
The best thing to do would be to speak with your community manager.
Is there any rule that gives exception to a disabled spouse under age 45, when the other spouse is 55+?
Condo docs state 55 or older in Massachusetts. Can this be appealed if one is 57 and one is 54? Losing a sale because of the situation. Ty for your time.
Judy, you would need to consult with the rules and regulations for the community.
Thanks for explaining that the minimum age for community homes is usually 45. My husband and I want to move to a community home. I’m glad I read your article and learned that it should be possible at our ages.
Thanks for explaining that 80 percent of the households have to have someone who is 55 or older in them because my dad has been thinking of moving to one. He says it would be nice to find some people that are around his age. I’ll have to tell him about the age restrictions it has.
As you mentioned, no one under the minimum age requirement can live in a 55+ community, but that younger individuals can come and stay for a certain period of time. Is there a process for letting the HOA know that a younger child will be staying for a few days, or can they just be there? My little one would like to go stay with grandma for a few days in the summer, so I need to make sure that we follow all the rules.
Thanks for explaining that guests can usually visit you for 15 days no matter how old they are when you are in an active adult community. My wife and I are interested in finding a place to live that is quiet during the day since we enjoy meditating together, but we want to make sure that our grandchildren can visit us on holidays. Maybe we should find a home that will suit our lifestyle.