Non-pensioners
Family care/accommodation agreements involving non-pensioners:
Where pensions are not involved, granny flat/family care agreements are more straightforward. Obviously none of the Centrelink rules about gifting/deprivation apply, and the parties can enter into any arrangement that they consider best without having to take into consideration gifting and other asset considerations that might affect pensions.
However, the need for the parties to the arrangement to be clear about what they are doing in the short and long-term applies equally. This again points to the need for the arrangement to be very carefully considered and to be put in writing, ideally with each party having separate legal representation.
It must be remembered that although family agreements and granny flat agreements often include agreements for the care of the parent, this does not necessarily have to be the case. Arrangements may just be for the provision of accommodation.