Property Management for Care Landlords: Managing UK Care Property Effectively

A practical guide for landlords and investors who own care homes, nursing homes, supported living and specialist care property across London and the UK

Owning care property can provide a specialist property investment opportunity, but managing a care asset requires more than collecting rent and responding to occasional maintenance requests.

Care landlords may own care homes, nursing homes, supported living properties, rehabilitation facilities, specialist disability accommodation or other buildings occupied by care providers. Each property can have different maintenance requirements, lease obligations, accessibility considerations and operational demands.

Professional property management for care landlords can help owners protect the physical condition of their buildings, coordinate repairs and refurbishment, manage contractors and maintain a clear relationship with the care operator.

What is property management for care landlords?

Property management for care landlords involves overseeing the building and its property-related responsibilities while another organisation operates the care service from the premises.

Depending on the arrangement, this can include:

• Property inspections

• Planned maintenance

• Reactive repairs

• Emergency repairs

• Contractor management

• Building works

• Refurbishment

• Accessibility improvements

• Heating and plumbing

• Electrical maintenance

• Fire safety maintenance coordination

• Grounds maintenance

• Pest control

• Property condition reporting

• Lease support

• Tenant liaison

The exact responsibilities should be established from the lease and any separate management agreement.

Why care landlords need specialist property management

A care property can have substantially different requirements from a standard commercial building.

For example, a care home may contain resident bedrooms, accessible bathrooms, communal lounges, dining facilities, kitchens, lifts and specialist equipment. A supported living property may instead comprise individual homes where care is provided under separate arrangements.

CQC regulates different care service models, including care homes with and without nursing, supported living, rehabilitation and other specialist services. The regulatory treatment of the accommodation varies according to the service model.

A care landlord therefore needs to understand how the property is being used before deciding how it should be maintained and managed.

Managing a care home as a landlord

Care homes combine accommodation and personal care, meaning the condition of the premises is particularly important.

CQC states that both the care and premises of care homes are regulated.

A landlord's property management responsibilities may include monitoring:

• Resident bedrooms

• Bathrooms

• Communal lounges

• Dining areas

• Kitchens

• Corridors

• Lifts

• Heating systems

• Hot water

• Roofs

• Windows and doors

• External areas

The landlord may not be responsible for every aspect of the property, however. The lease should establish whether repairs are the landlord's responsibility, the operator's responsibility or shared between the parties.

Managing nursing home property

Nursing homes can require additional attention because residents may depend on specialist facilities and equipment.

Property management may involve coordinating maintenance for:

• Accessible bathrooms

• Hoists

• Specialist beds

• Patient handling equipment

• Clinical areas

• Heating and hot water

• Ventilation

• Electrical systems

• Emergency systems

• Lifts

The landlord should establish which equipment forms part of the property and which belongs to the care operator.

Where the care provider is subject to CQC regulation, CQC Regulation 15 requires relevant premises and equipment used by the provider to be clean, secure, suitable for their purpose, properly used and properly maintained.

Planned maintenance for care landlords

A planned maintenance programme can help care landlords manage the building proactively rather than waiting for expensive failures.

Regular maintenance can cover:

• Roofs and gutters

• Boilers

• Heating systems

• Hot water systems

• Plumbing

• Drainage

• Electrical installations

• Fire alarm systems

• Emergency lighting

• Lifts

• Ventilation

• Windows

• Doors

• Security systems

• External areas

For regulated providers, CQC guidance expects suitable arrangements for the servicing, maintenance, renewal and replacement of relevant premises and equipment.

For landlords, planned maintenance can also help forecast major expenditure and identify potential capital works before they become urgent.

Reactive repairs and emergency maintenance

Care landlords need a clear process for handling urgent property problems.

Examples include:

• Boiler breakdowns

• Loss of heating

• Water leaks

• Electrical faults

• Blocked drainage

• Roof leaks

• Damaged doors

• Broken locks

• Lift failures

• Bathroom problems

• Fire alarm faults

• Accessibility equipment problems

A property management company can receive the repair request, establish responsibility, appoint an appropriate contractor, arrange access and monitor the work through to completion.

This can be particularly useful for landlords who do not want to deal directly with multiple contractors or care operators every time a building issue arises.

Property inspections for care landlords

Regular inspections can help a landlord understand the physical condition of the asset.

An inspection can cover:

• External walls

• Roofs and gutters

• Windows

• Doors

• Bedrooms

• Bathrooms

• Communal areas

• Kitchens

• Plant rooms

• Heating

• Plumbing

• Fire safety installations

• Accessibility

• Security

• Gardens and grounds

CQC guidance states that registered providers should have regular health and safety risk assessments of relevant premises and equipment and act on identified improvements.

For a landlord, regular property inspections can also provide useful information about deterioration, planned capital expenditure and potential lease issues.

Lease responsibilities for care landlords

One of the most important areas of care property management is understanding the lease.

A care property lease may allocate responsibility for:

• Internal repairs

• External repairs

• Structural repairs

• Roofs

• Heating systems

• Electrical installations

• Plumbing

• Common areas

• Grounds

• Insurance

• Compliance-related works

• Service charges

• Capital expenditure

The landlord should not assume that every building defect is the operator's responsibility.

Equally, a care operator should not assume that the landlord will automatically pay for every improvement.

A property management company can help monitor the practical implementation of these responsibilities while referring to the lease when responsibility is disputed.

Managing supported living property for landlords

Supported living requires a different approach from a conventional care home.

CQC describes supported living as a service where people live in their own homes and receive care or support to promote independence. The care is regulated by CQC, while the accommodation itself is not regulated in the same way as a care home.

CQC's location guidance also states that supported living care is generally managed from the provider's office or other relevant management premises rather than treating every individual supported living home as a CQC location.

For landlords, this distinction is important. The property owner may be responsible for the accommodation while the care provider separately manages its regulated care service.

Accessibility and adaptations

Care landlords should consider accessibility when maintaining or refurbishing their properties.

Depending on the type of service, the building may require:

• Step-free access

• Ramps

• Lifts

• Handrails

• Accessible bathrooms

• Level-access showers

• Wider doorways

• Adapted bedrooms

• Accessible parking

• Suitable circulation space

CQC guidance states that people's needs should be considered when premises are designed, maintained, renovated or adapted, including making reasonable adjustments where required.

A landlord considering refurbishment should therefore understand the requirements of the care operator and the people using the property before approving major alterations.

Fire safety and building maintenance

Fire safety is a significant consideration for care property.

Depending on the building, landlords may need to coordinate works involving:

• Fire alarms

• Emergency lighting

• Fire doors

• Fire extinguishers

• Escape routes

• Compartmentation

• Fire safety remedial works

• Emergency access

• Relevant building maintenance

The precise responsibilities will depend on the property's use, legal requirements and lease.

Where a fire safety inspection identifies building-related defects that fall within the landlord's responsibilities, prompt contractor coordination can be important.

Refurbishment for care landlords

Care properties can require significant refurbishment as they age or as the requirements of the operator change.

Projects may include:

• Bedroom refurbishment

• Bathroom upgrades

• Kitchen improvements

• Flooring replacement

• Decoration

• Lighting upgrades

• Heating improvements

• Accessibility adaptations

• Communal area upgrades

• Roof repairs

• External works

• Garden improvements

For an occupied care property, refurbishment should be planned around the operation of the service.

Works may need to be phased to minimise disruption to residents and staff and maintain safe access.

Fraser Bond can support care landlords with refurbishment planning, building works and contractor coordination.

Managing vacant care property

A vacant care property still requires active management.

An empty care home or former nursing home can experience:

• Damp

• Water leaks

• Pest infestations

• Security problems

• Vandalism

• Heating failures

• Drainage issues

• Grounds deterioration

Regular inspections and preventative maintenance can help protect the building while the landlord considers its next step.

A vacant care property may be prepared for:

• A new care operator

• A new lease

• Refurbishment

• Sale

• Conversion

• Redevelopment

Before significant investment is committed, the property's planning position, physical condition and potential future use should be assessed.

Care property management for investment landlords

For investors, property management should be considered alongside the wider investment strategy.

A care property management plan may address:

• Lease terms

• Tenant requirements

• Building condition

• Maintenance expenditure

• Planned capital works

• Refurbishment

• Accessibility

• Insurance

• Compliance-related responsibilities

• Long-term asset value

• Reletting potential

A long-term care property investment can require ongoing capital expenditure, so landlords should budget for major components such as roofs, heating systems, windows, lifts and mechanical and electrical installations.

Working with care operators

Good communication between a landlord and care operator can prevent many property management problems.

The landlord should understand:

• How the building is being used

• Which areas are operationally critical

• What repairs have been reported

• Which works are planned

• Who is responsible for each repair

• What refurbishment is required

• Whether the operator expects the property to be adapted

The operator should also understand which maintenance responsibilities sit with the landlord and which remain with the tenant.

A professional property manager can provide a central point of communication between the two parties.

Care property compliance and documentation

Care landlords should maintain organised property records.

These can include:

• Building surveys

• Maintenance schedules

• Inspection reports

• Contractor details

• Fire safety documentation

• Repair records

• Equipment records

• Warranties

• Refurbishment documentation

• Planning information

• Lease documents

• Compliance certificates

CQC states that regulated providers retain legal responsibility for meeting relevant requirements even where responsibilities are delegated to contractors or other third parties.

For landlords, this reinforces the importance of clearly defining the property manager's role rather than assuming that appointing a contractor transfers every legal responsibility.

Care property management in London

London has a diverse market for care property, including care homes, nursing homes, supported living properties and specialist care facilities.

Care landlords may own property across areas such as:

• Kensington and Chelsea

• Westminster

• Camden

• Islington

• Hammersmith and Fulham

• Barnet

• Croydon

• Bromley

• Enfield

• Other parts of Greater London

Older London buildings can present additional challenges involving restricted contractor access, ageing building systems, planning restrictions, neighbouring properties and refurbishment costs.

A local property management approach can therefore be useful when coordinating contractors and maintaining specialist care premises.

What care landlords should look for in a property management company

Before appointing a property manager, landlords should establish:

• Experience with care property

• Types of care properties managed

• Planned maintenance arrangements

• Emergency repair procedures

• Contractor management

• Inspection frequency

• Refurbishment capabilities

• Accessibility experience

• Property reporting

• Lease responsibility management

• Experience managing vacant care property

• Geographic coverage

• Additional property services

The management agreement should clearly state which services are included and which costs are charged separately.

Working with Fraser Bond

Fraser Bond supports care landlords, investors, operators and property owners with specialist property requirements across London and the wider UK.

Services can include:

• Care property management

• Property inspections

• Planned maintenance

• Reactive repairs

• Emergency repair coordination

• Refurbishment

• Building works

• Contractor management

• Property sourcing

• Acquisition support

• Investment assessment

• Facilities support

• Development consultancy

The approach can be tailored to the individual building, lease and care service operating from the property.

Whether you own a care home, nursing home, supported living property, rehabilitation facility or another specialist care asset, Fraser Bond can help coordinate the property requirements associated with maintaining and protecting the building.

Managing your care property as a long-term asset

Property management for care landlords should be approached as an ongoing asset management responsibility rather than simply a repair service.

Regular inspections, planned maintenance, responsive repairs, refurbishment and clear lease responsibilities can help landlords understand the condition of their property and plan expenditure more effectively.

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