Manage My Care Property: Professional UK Care Property Management

A practical guide for care home owners, landlords, investors and care operators looking for professional help managing care property across London and the UK

If you own or operate a care property, managing the building properly is an important part of protecting the asset and supporting the care service that operates from it. A care property can include a care home, nursing home, supported living property, specialist care facility, rehabilitation centre or another building used to provide care.

Unlike ordinary residential or commercial property, care premises can have specialist requirements involving accessibility, fire safety, bedrooms, bathrooms, communal areas, equipment, maintenance and the needs of people using the service.

If you are asking, “Who can manage my care property?”, the first step is to understand exactly what you need managed. This could range from routine maintenance and emergency repairs to contractor coordination, refurbishment, inspections and wider property management.

What does it mean to manage a care property?

Managing a care property involves overseeing the physical building and its ongoing property-related requirements.

Depending on the type of property, this can include:

• Care homes

• Nursing homes

• Residential care homes

• Dementia care homes

• Supported living properties

• Specialist disability accommodation

• Rehabilitation centres

• Mental health care properties

• Children's care properties

• Extra care properties

• Former care homes

• Vacant care properties

CQC regulates a range of adult social care services, including care homes, domiciliary care, supported living, extra care and specialist services. The regulatory treatment of the accommodation itself varies according to the service model.

This means care property management should be tailored to the actual use of the building rather than treated as a standard commercial property management assignment.

What can a care property management service include?

A property owner may want one company to coordinate several aspects of the building rather than dealing with multiple contractors independently.

Care property management can include:

• Routine property inspections

• Planned maintenance

• Reactive repairs

• Emergency maintenance

• Contractor coordination

• Building works

• Refurbishment

• Accessibility improvements

• Fire safety maintenance coordination

• Heating and plumbing

• Electrical maintenance

• Grounds maintenance

• Pest control

• Property condition reporting

• Compliance documentation

• Landlord and tenant liaison

The exact scope should be agreed according to the property, lease and responsibilities of the care operator.

Managing care home property

Care homes require particular attention because residents may live in the property for long periods and depend on the building being safe, accessible and functional.

CQC describes care homes as premises where accommodation and personal care are provided together, with both the care and premises regulated.

Property management may therefore involve regular attention to:

• Resident bedrooms

• En-suite bathrooms

• Shared bathrooms

• Communal lounges

• Dining rooms

• Kitchens

• Corridors

• Lifts

• Gardens

• Staff areas

• Storage

• Access routes

A minor defect in an ordinary commercial building can become a much more significant operational issue in a residential care environment.

Managing nursing home property

Nursing homes can have additional property requirements because residents may require nursing care and specialist equipment.

Property management may involve coordinating maintenance for:

• Specialist beds

• Hoists

• Accessible bathrooms

• Patient handling equipment

• Emergency systems

• Clinical areas

• Medical equipment storage

• Heating and hot water

• Ventilation

• Electrical systems

The property manager should establish which equipment belongs to the operator and which forms part of the landlord's responsibilities.

CQC Regulation 15 requires premises and equipment used by regulated providers to be clean, secure, suitable for their intended purpose, properly used and properly maintained.

Planned maintenance for care property

One of the most important parts of managing a care property is preventing avoidable problems.

A planned maintenance programme can cover:

• Roofs and gutters

• Boilers

• Heating systems

• Hot water systems

• Electrical installations

• Plumbing

• Drainage

• Windows

• Doors

• Fire alarm systems

• Emergency lighting

• Lifts

• Ventilation

• Security systems

• Accessibility equipment

• External areas

CQC guidance expects registered providers to have suitable arrangements for the servicing, maintenance, renewal and replacement of premises and equipment, supported by appropriate maintenance budgets.

For a landlord, planned maintenance can also make it easier to forecast major expenditure rather than waiting for expensive failures.

Emergency repairs when you need someone to manage your care property

Care operators cannot always wait for routine maintenance.

Urgent problems can include:

• Boiler breakdowns

• Major water leaks

• Electrical faults

• Heating failure

• Blocked drainage

• Roof damage

• Broken external doors

• Lift failures

• Fire alarm faults

• Bathroom failures

• Accessibility equipment problems

A professional property management arrangement can provide a clear process for reporting, prioritising and coordinating repairs.

For example, if a care home experiences a heating failure during winter, the property manager may need to identify an appropriate contractor, arrange access, communicate with the operator and monitor the repair through to completion.

Care property inspections

Regular inspections can help identify defects before they become major problems.

A care property inspection may examine:

• External building condition

• Roofs and gutters

• Windows and doors

• Resident rooms

• Bathrooms

• Communal areas

• Kitchens

• Plant rooms

• Fire safety systems

• Heating

• Plumbing

• Accessibility

• Security

• Gardens

• External pathways

CQC guidance states that there should be regular health and safety risk assessments of premises and equipment, with improvements acted on where necessary.

A property manager can help the owner maintain a clear record of inspections, defects and completed works.

Accessibility and adaptations

Care property often needs to accommodate people with different mobility and support requirements.

Depending on the service, this may involve:

• Step-free access

• Ramps

• Lifts

• Handrails

• Accessible bathrooms

• Wider doorways

• Adapted bedrooms

• Accessible parking

• Suitable circulation areas

• Specialist bathing facilities

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

Before carrying out alterations, the proposed works should therefore be considered in relation to the people using the property and the care service being delivered.

Fire safety and care property management

Fire safety is an important part of maintaining care premises.

Property management can include coordinating contractors for:

• Fire alarm servicing

• Emergency lighting

• Fire doors

• Fire extinguishers

• Escape route issues

• Compartmentation works

• Fire safety remedial works

• Emergency access

• Relevant documentation

The precise responsibilities will depend on the building, its use and the legal responsibilities of the landlord and operator.

Where remedial works are identified, they should be prioritised appropriately and recorded.

Managing care property refurbishment

If your care property is becoming dated or requires significant repairs, refurbishment may be more practical than dealing with individual defects indefinitely.

Care property refurbishment can include:

• Bedroom upgrades

• Bathroom refurbishment

• Kitchen improvements

• New flooring

• Decoration

• Lighting upgrades

• Heating improvements

• Accessibility adaptations

• Communal area upgrades

• External repairs

• Garden improvements

• Conversion of unused rooms

Refurbishment works in an occupied care property need careful planning.

Works may need to be phased to minimise disruption to residents and staff while maintaining safe access to the building.

Fraser Bond can coordinate property refurbishment, building works and contractors as part of a wider care property management strategy.

Managing supported living property

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

CQC states that supported living involves people living in their own homes while receiving care or support. The care is regulated by CQC, while the accommodation itself is generally not regulated by CQC in the same way as a care home.

CQC's location guidance also explains that, for supported living, the relevant regulated location is generally the premises from which the provider coordinates care rather than each individual home.

For landlords and property managers, this distinction makes it particularly important to establish whether they are managing the accommodation, the care service, or both.

Managing vacant care property

If your care home or specialist care property is currently vacant, it still needs active management.

A vacant property can face:

• Damp

• Water leaks

• Security problems

• Vandalism

• Pest infestations

• Heating problems

• Deterioration

• Grounds maintenance issues

Vacant care properties may also be undergoing planning applications, refurbishment, sale or preparation for a new operator.

A management strategy can include regular inspections, security checks, utility management, grounds maintenance and coordination of necessary repairs.

Care property management for landlords

Landlords who lease property to care operators may prefer to outsource day-to-day property management.

This can help coordinate:

• Tenant repair requests

• Planned maintenance

• Contractor appointments

• Building inspections

• Refurbishment

• Property condition reports

• Capital expenditure

• Lease-related property responsibilities

The lease should always be reviewed before deciding who is responsible for a particular repair or improvement.

A care operator may be responsible for certain internal repairs while the landlord retains responsibility for structural elements or major capital works.

Care property management for investors

For investors, the physical condition of the property can have an important bearing on the overall investment.

Management considerations can include:

• Building condition

• Tenant requirements

• Lease obligations

• Maintenance expenditure

• Refurbishment requirements

• Accessibility

• Compliance-related works

• Long-term capital expenditure

• Reletting potential

• Property location

Investors should assess each care property individually rather than assuming that all care assets have the same maintenance requirements or investment characteristics.

What if my care property needs a new operator?

Sometimes managing the property is only one part of the problem.

A landlord may have a former care home that requires:

• A new operator

• Refurbishment

• A new lease

• Planning advice

• Property sourcing support

• Investment assessment

• Redevelopment advice

In these situations, property management can form part of a wider care property strategy.

Fraser Bond can support owners looking to reposition, refurbish, lease or sell specialist care property across London and the UK.

London care property management

London contains a wide range of care property, from small supported living houses to larger care homes, nursing homes and specialist facilities.

Managing property in areas such as Kensington, Chelsea, Westminster, Camden, Islington, Barnet, Croydon and other parts of Greater London can involve additional considerations around:

• Contractor access

• Parking

• Planning

• Neighbouring properties

• Building age

• Listed buildings

• Transport

• Property values

• Refurbishment costs

Older London buildings may also require more detailed assessment of heating, plumbing, electrical systems and structural condition.

Why use Fraser Bond to manage my care property?

Fraser Bond provides property support for care operators, landlords, investors and owners of specialist care premises across London and the 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

• Property consultancy

• Development support

The objective is to manage the property around its actual use and long-term requirements rather than treating it as a standard commercial building.

What to provide when asking someone to manage your care property

When appointing a property management company, it is useful to provide information about:

• Property type

• Location

• Number of bedrooms

• Current occupancy

• Type of care provided

• Existing lease arrangements

• Current maintenance issues

• Specialist equipment

• Previous refurbishment

• Planning history

• Current contractor arrangements

• Known compliance issues

• Future refurbishment plans

This allows the property manager to understand the building before recommending a management strategy.

Manage my care property with a practical property strategy

If you own a care home, nursing home, supported living property or specialist care facility, professional property management can help you stay on top of maintenance, repairs, refurbishment and contractor coordination.

CQC's current guidance makes clear that premises and equipment used by regulated providers need to remain clean, secure, suitable, properly used and properly maintained.

However, property management responsibilities vary between care models, landlords and operators. A clear understanding of the building, lease and intended use is therefore essential.

Fraser Bond can help care property owners, operators and investors manage existing premises, coordinate maintenance and refurbishment, and develop wider property strategies across London and the UK.

If you need someone to manage your care property, Fraser Bond can assess the building, understand your requirements and coordinate the property services needed to keep the asset functional and well maintained.