Reg Hoyling and his partner Eva Johnson thought the park home they bought with their life savings on WA’s south coast was where they would see out the rest of their days.
“It was $154,000 for the house, and then $16,000 paid to the current owner for all the furniture and everything in the house — I thought it was a good deal,” he said.
But when the Acclaim Rose Gardens Beachside Holiday Park was sold in early 2025, the couple were among two dozen other long-term residents given notice to vacate.
Reg Hoyling fell in love with the City of Albany. (ABC Great Southern: Rosemary Murphy)
Mr Hoyling, who has been diagnosed with stage four cancer, is now homeless.
He has only been able to find short-term accommodation, while Ms Johnson now lives in residential care.
‘Zero outcome’ for tenants
The caravan park, which sits on crown land, was owned by the state government, which sold it to RAC Tourism Assets last year.
A condition of the sale was vacant possession, and tenants were offered ex gratia payments of up to $25,000.
Rose Gardens Holiday Park in Albany has been home to long-stay residents for decades. (ABC News: Samantha Goerling)
Mr Hoyling had hoped to stay.
“I panicked and went to members of parliament, Consumer Protection, SAT (State Administrative Tribunal), we’ve been everywhere, and it’s cost me a lot of money for zero outcome,” he said.
Mr Hoying ultimately sold his park home and most of his possessions days before he was forced to leave.
No fixed address
Tenants were given the option to move their park homes to the nearby Panorama Caravan Park, but additional work is needed to prepare the area before they can move in.
Jan and Victor Nickolson at their caravan at Panorama Caravan Park. (ABC Great Southern: Rosemary Murphy)
Some former Rose Garden tenants, such as Jan and Victor Nickolson, are living at the Panorama site in caravans while they wait to move into their park home.
Former Rose Gardens resident Pippa Minchin has been unable to find anywhere to live long-term.
She had planned to move to Panorama but sold her park home after finding out the cost of making it compliant with bushfire standards at the new site would be up to $90,000.
Long-stay resident Pippa Minchin has been staying with family since being forced to leave. (ABC News: Samantha Goerling)
Ms Minchin wants greater protection offered to residents, given the challenges of finding somewhere else to live.
“I’ve got my name down at places, but everybody’s got wait lists,” she said.
“I’m just going to different family members at the moment.”
RAC plans to redevelop the Rose Gardens Caravan Park. (ABC Great Southern: Mark Bennett)
City of Albany executive director of corporate and commercial services Matthew Gilfellon said the council had provided support to long-term Rose Garden tenants that was “above and beyond the legislative requirements”.
More clarity needed
Consumer Protection Commissioner Trish Blake said risks came with this type of accommodation, where residents owned their home but not the property it sits on.
“If the tenant is on a fixed-term agreement — so that has an end date — then there are those protections in place because their tenancy goes with the sale of the park and the new owners have to take that on,” she said.
“If someone is on a periodic agreement, which is month-to-month, if the new buyers want vacant possession, then they’re entitled to ask for vacant possession.”
The majority of the long-term Rose Garden residents had periodic leases.
Carol McCracken says there needs to be better protection for tenants and operators. (ABC News: Andrew Williams)
The tenancy agreements are covered under WA’s Residential Parks (Long-stay Tenants) Act 2006, which is currently under review.
Caravan and Camping WA chief executive Carol McCracken said the review was a chance to provide greater clarity for tenants and operators.
“It’s an opportunity to modernise and simplify the Act because it’s outdated,” she said.
“We need it to be clear and simple with a consistent and balanced approach.”