10 Questions to Ask Before Signing a Retirement Residence Agreement

Under the Retirement Homes Act, 2010, every Ontario retirement home is required to give you a written care agreement (often called a Residency and Care Agreement) that spells out exactly what you're paying for and what your rights are. In practice, these agreements are long, dense, and easy to skim past. Before you sign anything, sit down with the document and get clear answers to these ten questions. If a sales representative can't answer one of them clearly and in writing, treat that as useful information in itself.

1. What exactly is included in the base rent?

Ask for a specific, itemized list — not a general description — of what's covered by the monthly base fee. Most homes include the suite, utilities, some housekeeping, and a set number of meals, but the details vary widely from one home to the next, and vague language in a brochure is not the same as a contractual commitment.

2. What is charged separately, and how is it billed?

Care packages, extra housekeeping, transportation, incontinence supplies, and additional staff assistance are usually billed on top of base rent. Ask for the current price list for every add-on service, and ask whether charges are billed monthly in advance or after the fact.

3. How and when can fees increase?

Ontario law requires advance written notice of rent increases, but the required notice period and any caps can vary by fee type. Ask specifically how much notice you'll receive before a rent increase, how often increases have historically occurred at this home, and whether care-package fees are subject to the same notice rules as base rent.

4. What is the home's current license status with the RHRA?

Ask this directly, even though you should also check it yourself on the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority's public register. A home in good standing should have no hesitation confirming its status and discussing any past inspection findings.

5. What is the highest level of care this home can provide?

Find out what happens if care needs increase over time — whether the home can accommodate greater assistance on-site, up to and including memory care if relevant, or whether residents are typically required to move elsewhere once needs exceed a certain point.

6. Under what circumstances can the home end the agreement?

Ontario's Retirement Homes Act sets out specific rules for when and how a home can require a resident to leave — generally requiring cause and formal notice — but the details and notice periods should be spelled out clearly in your agreement. Ask for real examples of situations that have led to a discharge in the past.

7. What is the refund policy if a resident moves out, transfers to care, or passes away?

This is one of the most commonly disputed areas in retirement-home contracts. Ask specifically how any deposit, last month's rent, or prepaid fees are handled, and over what timeframe refunds are issued.

8. What is the staff-to-resident ratio, particularly overnight?

Daytime staffing tends to look good on a tour; overnight staffing is where gaps most often show up. Ask specifically how many staff are on-site overnight and what response time to look for if a resident uses a call button after hours.

9. Is a trial or respite stay available before a full move-in commitment?

Many homes offer short-term stays that let a prospective resident experience daily life there before signing a long-term agreement. If available, ask how a trial stay is priced and whether it can be credited toward a future permanent move.

10. Can I have a lawyer or trusted family member review the agreement before I sign?

Any reputable home will say yes without hesitation. Retirement residence agreements are legally binding contracts, and it is entirely reasonable to take a copy home, sleep on it, and have someone you trust look it over before you commit. Pressure to sign on the spot is worth treating as a caution flag, not a reason to rush.

Bonus: bring someone else to the conversation

It's easy to focus so hard on the checklist itself that the meeting becomes purely transactional. Where possible, bring a second family member to any meeting where you're going through these questions — a second person tends to catch follow-up questions the first person misses, and having a witness to the answers given verbally can matter later if there's ever a dispute about what was promised. If the prospective resident is able to participate directly, include them in this conversation too; agreements that are explained to and understood by the person actually moving in tend to go more smoothly than ones handled entirely by adult children on their behalf.

Keep a copy of everything, including verbal promises in writing

If a sales representative tells you something important that isn't already in the written agreement — a promise about a future suite upgrade, a fee that will be waived, or a commitment about care staffing — ask that it be added to the agreement in writing, or at minimum confirmed by email before you sign. Verbal assurances that aren't documented are very difficult to enforce later, no matter how well-intentioned they were at the time. This single habit resolves more future disagreements than almost anything else on this list.

None of these questions are meant to suggest that Ontario retirement homes are generally untrustworthy — most operate professionally and are proud to answer detailed questions. But a written answer today is worth far more than a verbal reassurance later, and asking all ten questions up front will save you time, money, and stress down the road.