Exhibit 23.1

                         Consent of Independent Auditors

We consent to the incorporation by reference in Posteffective Amendment No. 1 to
the  Registration  Statement  (Form  S-3 No.  62135) of  Health  and  Retirement
Properties Trust and in the related Prospectus and in the Registration Statement
(Form S-3 No.  333-02863) of Health and Retirement  Properties  Trust and in the
related  Prospectus  of our report dated  February 6, 1997,  with respect to the
consolidated  financial  statements of Health and  Retirement  Properties  Trust
included in the Company's Form 8-K dated February 17, 1997 and  incorporated  by
reference  in this Annual  Report  (Form 10-K) for the year ended  December  31,
1996.

Our  audits  also  included  the  financial  statement  schedules  of Health and
Retirement  Properties  Trust  listed in Item  14(a).  These  schedules  are the
responsibility  of Health and  Retirement  Properties  Trust's  management.  Our
responsibility is to express an opinion based on our audits. In our opinion, the
financial  statement schedules referred to above, when considered in relation to
the basic financial  statements taken as a whole, present fairly in all material
respects the information set forth therein.


                                                    /s/ Ernst & Young LLP

                                                    ERNST & YOUNG LLP

Boston, Masschusetts
March 27, 1997