Washtenaw County retirement communities come in three legal shapes: 55+ housing, rental independent living and state-registered life plan communities. Here is what each one is, who regulates it, and what to check before you sign.
By Detroit Senior Advisor Care Team · October 24, 2026
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Listen to this guide as a 6-minute podcast episode, or read on. Hosts Marcus and Dana are AI-generated voices.
Marcus: Welcome to the Detroit Senior Advisor podcast. I'm Marcus.
Dana: And I'm Dana. Today we're heading west, to the retirement communities of Washtenaw County: Ann Arbor, Saline, Chelsea and Dexter.
Marcus: This one comes up a lot. Mom or Dad wants to move near the kids in Ann Arbor, and every brochure says "retirement community."
Dana: And that phrase hides a lot. Two buildings with the same lobby can carry very different risk.
Marcus: So let's start there. What actually counts as a retirement community in Washtenaw County?
Dana: Legally, "retirement community" is a marketing label, not a license. Most places fall into one of three categories: age-restricted 55-plus housing, rental independent living, and life plan communities, also called continuing care retirement communities.
Marcus: And the category decides who's watching over it?
Dana: Exactly. A 55-plus neighborhood is housing that follows federal fair-housing rules. Rental independent living is housing too, unless it also provides personal care. A life plan community sells a long-term contract, and it has to register with the state before it sells one.
Marcus: So what's the one question to ask on every tour?
Dana: "Which of these three are you, on paper?" Then everything else follows from the answer.
Marcus: Let's take the 55-plus piece first. How can a community legally limit residents by age?
Dana: Under HUD's rules for housing for older persons, at least 80 percent of occupied units need at least one resident who is 55 or older. The community also has to publish and follow an age policy, and verify ages.
Marcus: Okay, the life plan communities. How does Michigan regulate those around Ann Arbor, Chelsea and Saline?
Dana: Through the Continuing Care Community Disclosure Act, 2014 PA 448, which took effect April 2, 2015. Registration runs through LARA's Securities and Audit Division, which is a different office from the one that licenses care homes.
Marcus: Is there a list I can look at?
Dana: There is. LARA's list dated June 1, 2025 shows 31 registrants statewide, and several have Washtenaw addresses: Glacier Hills in Ann Arbor, Brecon Village in Saline, Chelsea Retirement Community and The Cedars of Dexter, Silver Maples of Chelsea, and Evangelical Homes of Michigan LifeChoices at an Ann Arbor address.
Marcus: So being on that list means the state approved them?
Dana: No, and the law says so. Every disclosure statement has to state that registration does not constitute approval. It means the community owes you documents and specific refund terms. It doesn't mean the state checked that it's a good deal.
Marcus: What does a Washtenaw County life plan community have to give me before I pay anything?
Dana: Its continuing care agreements, its emergency plan for a power outage, and its most recently approved disclosure statement. That has to happen before it takes a nonrefundable application fee over $500, or before you pay 10 percent or more of the entrance fee, whichever comes first.
Marcus: And what's in the disclosure statement?
Dana: The entrance fee, the monthly service fees and any other charges. It also has to say monthly fees can rise with the reasonable cost of operations, with at least 60 days' notice before a new or higher fee takes effect. You can also ask to see the feasibility study.
Marcus: What if we sign and then get cold feet?
Dana: You can cancel without penalty within 7 days after signing, and the entrance fee you paid sits in a separate escrow account during those 7 days. You don't have to move in before the 7 days are up.
Marcus: And if Mom dies, or gets sick, before she ever moves in?
Dana: The agreement is canceled and the money paid is refunded, apart from costs she asked for in a separate written addendum.
Marcus: Here's the big comparison. Life plan community versus rental independent living. Which fits?
Dana: Rental independent living trades certainty for flexibility. You pay month to month, no entrance fee, and you leave on the lease's terms. A life plan contract asks for a bigger commitment up front, and in return you get a written agreement, state-required disclosures and refund rules.
Marcus: And when Dad needs help with care?
Dana: In 55-plus housing or rental independent living, care is hired or arranged separately. In a registered life plan community, it's set out in the agreement. That care line matters more than the amenities.
Marcus: Is independent living in Ann Arbor licensed by the state?
Dana: The housing itself isn't licensed as care. But once a building provides room, board and supervised personal care to 21 or more unrelated people 60 or older, Michigan's Public Health Code treats it as a home for the aged, and that needs a license. So ask who provides personal care, and under which license.
Marcus: What does senior living cost in Washtenaw County?
Dana: There's no published survey that gives a Washtenaw median for independent living rent or entrance fees. The prices you need are in each community's disclosure statement, so ask for it on the first visit, not the third.
Marcus: Any numbers for context?
Dana: CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey puts Michigan's statewide annual median at $69,000 for assisted living, $135,050 for a semi-private nursing home room, and $79,508 for a non-medical home caregiver. Those are state figures, not Ann Arbor figures, but they show what a monthly fee may have to cover later.
Marcus: Who can help a Washtenaw family compare, without selling them something?
Dana: AgeWays Nonprofit Senior Services, the agency that used to be called Area Agency on Aging 1-B, at 800-852-7795. It covers Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair and Washtenaw counties.
Marcus: The full guide, with the comparison table and the state sources, is in the description.
Dana: And if you'd like to talk it through, a Detroit Senior Advisor is free. See you next time.
In Washtenaw County, "retirement community" is a marketing label, not a license. The places families tour around Ann Arbor, Saline, Chelsea and Dexter usually fall into one of three legal categories: age-restricted 55+ housing, rental independent living, and life plan communities (continuing care retirement communities, or CCRCs) that sign long-term contracts under a Michigan disclosure law.
The category decides who regulates the building and what protects your money. A 55+ neighborhood is housing that follows federal fair-housing rules. A rental independent living building is housing too, unless it also provides personal care. A life plan community sells a continuing care agreement and must register with the state before it sells one.
That is why two buildings with similar lobbies can carry very different risk. The question to ask on every tour is simple: "Which of these three are you, on paper?" Our Ann Arbor retirement communities page lists local options by type.
Life plan communities in Michigan are regulated under the Continuing Care Community Disclosure Act, 2014 PA 448, effective April 2, 2015. Registration runs through LARA's Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau, Securities and Audit Division, (517) 335-5237. That is a different LARA office than the one that licenses care homes.
LARA's registrant list, dated June 1, 2025, shows 31 registrants statewide. Several have Washtenaw County addresses: Glacier Hills (The Manor and The Meadows) on Earhart Road in Ann Arbor; Evangelical Homes of Michigan's Brecon Village in Saline; Chelsea Retirement Community and The Cedars of Dexter, both operated by United Methodist Retirement Communities, Inc., doing business as Brio Living Services; Silver Maples of Chelsea; and Evangelical Homes of Michigan LifeChoices, Inc., listed at an Ann Arbor address.
Registration is not a seal of approval. The Act says each disclosure statement must state that registration "does not constitute approval" of the information in it. Being on the list means the community owes you documents and specific refund terms. It does not mean the state has checked that it is a good deal.
Under section 35 of the Act, the community must hand you its continuing care agreements, its emergency plan for a power outage, and its most recently approved disclosure statement. That has to happen before it accepts a nonrefundable application fee over $500, or before you pay 10% or more of the entrance fee to reserve a unit, whichever comes first. You can also ask to review its feasibility study.
The disclosure statement must list the entrance fee, the monthly service fees and any other charges. It must say that monthly fees can rise based on the reasonable cost of operations, with at least 60 days' notice before a new or higher fee takes effect.
The cancellation rules are the part to read twice. You may cancel without penalty within 7 days after signing, and the entrance fee you paid sits in a separate escrow account during those 7 days. You do not have to move in before the 7 days end. If the resident dies before moving in, or illness or injury keeps them from becoming a member, the agreement is canceled and money paid is refunded, apart from costs the resident requested in a separate written addendum. Our guide to Michigan's CCRC disclosure law walks through refund timing in detail.
A rental independent living apartment trades certainty for flexibility. You pay month to month, with no entrance fee, and you can leave on the lease's terms. A life plan contract asks for a larger commitment up front and, in return, comes with a written agreement, state-required disclosures and refund rules.
| Question | 55+ housing | Rental independent living | Registered life plan community |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is it, legally? | Housing that meets the federal older-persons exemption | Housing; care is a separate arrangement | A continuing care agreement under 2014 PA 448 |
| Who oversees it? | HUD fair-housing rules | No senior-specific state license for the housing itself | LARA Securities and Audit Division registration |
| Money up front | Purchase price or rent deposit | Rent deposit | Entrance fee plus monthly service fee |
| Right to cancel | Your purchase or lease terms | Your lease terms | 7 days after signing, fee held in escrow |
| When care is needed | Hired or arranged separately | Hired or arranged separately | Set out in the agreement |
The care line matters more than the amenities. Once a building provides room, board and supervised personal care to 21 or more unrelated people 60 or older, Michigan's Public Health Code treats it as a home for the aged, which needs a license. Ask any independent living building who provides personal care, and under which license. See our Ann Arbor independent living page for local options.
No published survey gives a Washtenaw County median for independent living rent or life plan entrance fees. The prices you need are in each community's own disclosure statement, which the Act requires to list every fee. Ask for it on the first visit, not the third.
For context on care costs, CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey puts Michigan's statewide annual median for assisted living at $69,000, a nursing home semi-private room at $135,050 and a non-medical home caregiver at $79,508. Those are state figures, not Ann Arbor figures, but they show what a monthly service fee may have to cover if a parent later needs more help.
Washtenaw County is served by AgeWays Nonprofit Senior Services, the agency formerly called Area Agency on Aging 1-B, at (800) 852-7795. It covers Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair and Washtenaw counties and can help you compare options without selling you one. A Detroit Senior Advisor is free too; tell us what you are weighing and we will help you line up the questions for each tour.
Last verified: October 2026.
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