RETIREMENT HOMES and SENIORS RESIDENCES
Many terms are used for housing geared toward older adults that are not Long-Term Care (LTC) Homes: seniors home, seniors residence, retirement residence, retirement home, and seniors housing. For simplicity, these can be referred to collectively as seniors residences. Some are licensed under the Ontario Retirement Homes Act, 2010, while others are not.
Licensed residences:
A residence must be licensed under the Retirement Homes Act, 2010 if:
Licensed retirement homes are regulated by the Ontario Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA). They are also subject to the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 and the Landlord and Tenant Board.
Non-licensed residences:
Some seniors residences are not required to be licensed because the operators do not directly provide care services to the residents.
However these operators may connect residents with services provided by external providers (private, non-profit or government offices).
No special tax rules for residences:
The Income Tax Act and the Ontario Taxation Act, 1997 do not specifically mention retirement homes or seniors residences. Likewise, UFile does not include special options for these living arrangements.
For tax purposes, individuals living in a seniors residence are treated the same as those living in any other type of rental accommodation.
Residence expense statements:
Seniors residences should provide a detailed statement that separates rent from other charges, and itemizes any amounts that may qualify as medical expenses. Below is an example statement which breaks out attendant care expenses. Attendant care expenses might be claimable as a medical expense. For more information see the document, Attendant Care as a Medical Expense.
References: