Older Aussies built this country—so why are some being evicted in their 80s?
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Elderly Aussies forced to pack up and leave the only home they’ve known.
Eviction notices delivered to retirees in their 80s with just months to move out.
Advocates say this crisis was entirely avoidable—and is far from over.
Kevin Logan, 83, believed he had found his forever home along the picturesque coastline near Geraldton.
He invested $230,000 in a cabin at Drummond Cove Holiday Park, reassured by the previous owner that he could stay for life.
But in February, his sense of security was shattered.
Logan and more than a dozen other long-term residents received notices ordering them to vacate within months, following the park’s sale to Wajarri Enterprises.
They were told they had until August to leave—regardless of their age or the length of time they had lived there.
In nearby Albany, a similar story unfolded, sparking community backlash over the treatment of elderly tenants and prompting calls for urgent reform.
The Park Home Owners Association of WA warned the problem was widespread, estimating between 100 and 200 people in Western Australia might be living in permanent homes without proper tenancy protections.
‘It doesn’t bear thinking about,’ said the association’s chairperson Terry Hintchcliffe.
‘Particularly when the average age of people in that situation would probably be around 80. They’re not in a position where you can suddenly say, “Alright, here’s a new part of my life coming on. I’ve got the financial wherewithal.” They just don’t have that. So, it’s a tragic situation for a lot of people.’
Many residents were unaware they lacked secure leases.
‘There are a couple of reasons, usually down to ignorance, not only on the part of the person living in the caravan park, but they haven’t done due diligence and determined what their situation is,’ Hintchcliffe said.
‘They’ve just accepted it for years and years, and they don’t want to look into it. But in some cases, too, it’s on the part of the park operator. Simply ignorance of the rules.’
Park communities typically include both short-term holidaymakers and long-term residents—some seeking an affordable lifestyle, others making retirement lifestyle choices.
But not all parks offer fixed-term leases to long-term residents, leaving them effectively on month-to-month terms.
Without legal safeguards and with developers eyeing profitable land in prime locations, vulnerable tenants risk losing their homes with little recourse.
‘What we’d like to see is the end of periodic leases, for a start,’ Hintchcliffe said.
‘Fixed-term leases need to be the way to go, so that people get the protections they need, and that operators are regularly inspected to ensure they are meeting the requirements of the legislation.’
Western Australia’s tenancy laws appear strong on paper but fall short in practice due to weak enforcement mechanisms.
‘What we have here in WA is very robust laws … but we don’t have a system that enforces those laws and backs things up,’ he said.
Residents can take matters to the courts or the State Administrative Tribunal, but most lack the finances and legal support to do so.
‘They’re often vulnerable people. They haven’t got the financial backing behind them to do that, even though they would almost certainly win,’ he said.
Those on periodic leases are only entitled to 120 days’ notice, while fixed-term tenants can qualify for relocation assistance.
‘If they’re not on a fixed-term lease, where they’re just on a periodic lease, then the 120-day rule applies,’ Hintchcliffe said.
‘And so potentially, if somebody is unable to do that, or the building is such that it really can’t be moved, then yeah, that means they lose their home.’
Public pressure has occasionally swayed outcomes.
‘There was a groundswell move to have the council’s decision to allow the sale overturned,’ he said of the Albany case.
‘And for a month or so, that was quite successful, and it looked like the sale might fall through. But I don’t know the politics of it—at some point, the council did eventually approve it as well.’
For the Park Home Owners Association, the issue is not legislative gaps—it’s access to justice.
‘We are pushing hard on the point that the general residents in the caravan park are not capable and don’t have the wherewithal to use the law on their side,’ Hintchcliffe said.
‘They need government assistance, and they need government backing to enforce laws.’
This isn’t the first time someone believed they’d found a forever home—only to be told they had to leave.
When legal protections fall short and promises don’t hold up, the emotional toll can be devastating.
Here’s another story of someone whose peaceful retirement turned into a legal and personal battle.
Read more: From dream to nightmare: Distressing reality of retirement living for Aussie seniors
How would you cope if someone told you to leave your home of 10 years with nowhere else to go?
Eviction notices delivered to retirees in their 80s with just months to move out.
Advocates say this crisis was entirely avoidable—and is far from over.
Kevin Logan, 83, believed he had found his forever home along the picturesque coastline near Geraldton.
He invested $230,000 in a cabin at Drummond Cove Holiday Park, reassured by the previous owner that he could stay for life.
But in February, his sense of security was shattered.
Kevin Logan faces eviction after decade-long stay. Image source: Pexels/Kindel Media
Disclaimer: This is a stock image used for illustrative purposes only and does not depict the actual person, item, or event described.
Disclaimer: This is a stock image used for illustrative purposes only and does not depict the actual person, item, or event described.
Logan and more than a dozen other long-term residents received notices ordering them to vacate within months, following the park’s sale to Wajarri Enterprises.
They were told they had until August to leave—regardless of their age or the length of time they had lived there.
In nearby Albany, a similar story unfolded, sparking community backlash over the treatment of elderly tenants and prompting calls for urgent reform.
The Park Home Owners Association of WA warned the problem was widespread, estimating between 100 and 200 people in Western Australia might be living in permanent homes without proper tenancy protections.
‘It doesn’t bear thinking about,’ said the association’s chairperson Terry Hintchcliffe.
‘Particularly when the average age of people in that situation would probably be around 80. They’re not in a position where you can suddenly say, “Alright, here’s a new part of my life coming on. I’ve got the financial wherewithal.” They just don’t have that. So, it’s a tragic situation for a lot of people.’
Many residents were unaware they lacked secure leases.
‘There are a couple of reasons, usually down to ignorance, not only on the part of the person living in the caravan park, but they haven’t done due diligence and determined what their situation is,’ Hintchcliffe said.
‘They’ve just accepted it for years and years, and they don’t want to look into it. But in some cases, too, it’s on the part of the park operator. Simply ignorance of the rules.’
Park communities typically include both short-term holidaymakers and long-term residents—some seeking an affordable lifestyle, others making retirement lifestyle choices.
But not all parks offer fixed-term leases to long-term residents, leaving them effectively on month-to-month terms.
Without legal safeguards and with developers eyeing profitable land in prime locations, vulnerable tenants risk losing their homes with little recourse.
‘What we’d like to see is the end of periodic leases, for a start,’ Hintchcliffe said.
‘Fixed-term leases need to be the way to go, so that people get the protections they need, and that operators are regularly inspected to ensure they are meeting the requirements of the legislation.’
Western Australia’s tenancy laws appear strong on paper but fall short in practice due to weak enforcement mechanisms.
‘What we have here in WA is very robust laws … but we don’t have a system that enforces those laws and backs things up,’ he said.
Residents can take matters to the courts or the State Administrative Tribunal, but most lack the finances and legal support to do so.
‘They’re often vulnerable people. They haven’t got the financial backing behind them to do that, even though they would almost certainly win,’ he said.
Those on periodic leases are only entitled to 120 days’ notice, while fixed-term tenants can qualify for relocation assistance.
‘If they’re not on a fixed-term lease, where they’re just on a periodic lease, then the 120-day rule applies,’ Hintchcliffe said.
‘And so potentially, if somebody is unable to do that, or the building is such that it really can’t be moved, then yeah, that means they lose their home.’
Public pressure has occasionally swayed outcomes.
‘There was a groundswell move to have the council’s decision to allow the sale overturned,’ he said of the Albany case.
‘And for a month or so, that was quite successful, and it looked like the sale might fall through. But I don’t know the politics of it—at some point, the council did eventually approve it as well.’
For the Park Home Owners Association, the issue is not legislative gaps—it’s access to justice.
‘We are pushing hard on the point that the general residents in the caravan park are not capable and don’t have the wherewithal to use the law on their side,’ Hintchcliffe said.
‘They need government assistance, and they need government backing to enforce laws.’
This isn’t the first time someone believed they’d found a forever home—only to be told they had to leave.
When legal protections fall short and promises don’t hold up, the emotional toll can be devastating.
Here’s another story of someone whose peaceful retirement turned into a legal and personal battle.
Read more: From dream to nightmare: Distressing reality of retirement living for Aussie seniors
How would you cope if someone told you to leave your home of 10 years with nowhere else to go?
