Rates Remission for Joint Owners, Retirement Villages and Aged Care in Tasmania

The standard pensioner rates remission is straightforward when one person owns one home. But what if you co-own with an adult child, live in a retirement village, or have moved into aged care? Tasmania has specific rules for each scenario.

Joint Ownership

If a property is co-owned by a pensioner and a non-pensioner — say, an elderly parent and an adult child on the title together — the full household remission still applies, provided:

• At least one registered owner holds a qualifying concession card (PCC, HCC, or endorsed DVA Gold Card)
• That owner occupies the property as their principal place of residence on 1 July

The concession isn't halved or pro-rated based on ownership share. One qualifying owner unlocks the entire remission. However, there's a strict limit of one remission per household per financial year — you can't claim on two properties.

Principal Place of Residence

The property must be where you usually live, sleep, and eat. A holiday house, investment property, or vacant block doesn't qualify, even if you own it and hold a valid card.

If you own two properties and live between them, only the one registered as your principal residence with the council qualifies. The SRO verifies this through Centrelink data matching against your recorded address.

Retirement Villages

Retirement village eligibility depends on how the rates are billed:

• Individual rate notice: if you receive your own council rate notice (because you hold freehold title or a long-term registered lease), you can claim the remission like any other homeowner
• Aggregated rate notice: if the village operator receives a single rate notice covering the entire complex, individual residents cannot claim. The operator cannot apply for pensioner remissions on behalf of residents

Check with your village management whether you receive an individual rate assessment.

Moving Into Aged Care

When a pensioner enters a recognised nursing home or aged care facility, they can continue claiming the rates remission on their former principal residence for up to two years, as long as:

• The property is not rented out
• The property is not used commercially

The remission is limited to two years under this aged-care exception.

Life Tenancies

A person who holds a legally documented life interest in a property and is contractually responsible for council rates can claim the remission. You'll need to provide the council with a copy of the life tenancy deed or agreement.

Trusts and Company-Owned Properties

Properties owned by private companies or discretionary family trusts are generally ineligible. The exception: where the trust holds the property specifically for a natural person who holds a qualifying card and lives in the home, documentation can be escalated to the SRO for individual assessment.

For special-circumstance checklists and document templates, see our Tasmania Pensioner Rates Remission guide.

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