Supported Living Property Agent: Finding Suitable UK Supported Living Property

A practical guide for supported living providers, care operators, investors, landlords and developers looking for suitable supported living property across London and the UK

Finding the right property for a supported living service requires more than finding a house with enough bedrooms. The building needs to work for the people who will live there, the support model being delivered, the location, planning position and any applicable regulatory requirements.

A specialist supported living property agent can help providers identify suitable properties, assess their potential and coordinate the property side of acquisition, leasing, refurbishment and development.

Where supported living involves regulated personal care, the property and operating arrangements may also need to be considered alongside CQC requirements. CQC guidance explains that supported living services can have a registered location at the premises from which care is routinely planned, coordinated and managed.

What does a supported living property agent do?

A supported living property agent helps care providers and investors source property that could accommodate supported living services.

Potential property types include:

• Large detached houses

• Bungalows

• Flats and apartments

• Self-contained units

• Former care homes

• Former supported living properties

• Former healthcare buildings

• Residential properties requiring adaptation

• Purpose-designed supported living accommodation

• Development opportunities

• Off-market properties

The agent can work from a detailed property brief and help identify buildings that match the operator's intended service, budget, location and accommodation requirements.

Why supported living property is different from ordinary housing

A conventional residential property is not automatically suitable for supported living.

Depending on the people being supported, the property may need:

• Accessible entrances

• Ground-floor accommodation

• Accessible bathrooms

• Suitable bedrooms

• Communal living areas

• Staff facilities

• Secure storage

• Specialist equipment storage

• Private outdoor space

• Parking

• Suitable circulation space

• Fire safety measures

• Appropriate heating and ventilation

CQC Regulation 15 states that premises used by registered providers must be clean, secure, suitable for their purpose, properly maintained and appropriately located. The guidance also covers sufficient space, toilets, bathrooms, storage, seating and reasonable adjustments for disabled people.

This makes property assessment an important part of planning a supported living service.

Start with the supported living service model

The property search should begin with the people the service is intended to support.

Supported living can serve people with different needs, including:

• Learning disabilities

• Physical disabilities

• Autism

• Mental health needs

• Acquired brain injury

• Sensory impairments

• Older adults

• Younger adults

• Complex care needs

The required property can vary considerably between these models.

For example, a service supporting people with significant physical disabilities may require wheelchair-accessible circulation, adapted bathrooms and specialist equipment storage. A smaller mental health supported living service may place greater emphasis on privacy, communal space, quiet areas and proximity to local amenities.

Create a detailed property brief

Before approaching a supported living property agent, operators should establish their requirements.

A property brief can include:

• Type of supported living service

• Number of residents

• Age range

• Support needs

• Number of bedrooms

• Bathroom requirements

• Accessibility requirements

• Staff arrangements

• Communal space

• Outdoor space

• Parking

• Preferred locations

• Purchase budget

• Rental budget

• Refurbishment budget

• Planning requirements

• Target opening date

A clear brief helps prevent unsuitable properties from being included in the search.

Location is central to supported living property

The right location can have a significant effect on the suitability of a supported living property.

Operators may need to consider:

• Public transport

• Shops

• GP surgeries

• Pharmacies

• Hospitals

• Community facilities

• Leisure facilities

• Employment opportunities

• Education

• Local support services

• Parking

• Safe pedestrian routes

For people with learning disabilities, autism or mental health needs, access to ordinary community facilities can be particularly important.

The property should therefore be assessed as part of its surrounding neighbourhood rather than as an isolated building.

Planning for supported living property

Planning should be investigated before a property is purchased or leased.

A property may have previously been used as an ordinary family home, care property or another type of accommodation. Its existing lawful use should be checked against the proposed supported living model.

Due diligence can include:

• Current lawful use

• Planning history

• Previous use

• Planning conditions

• Proposed use

• Change of use requirements

• Extensions

• Internal alterations

• Additional bedrooms

• Parking

• External works

Where significant changes are proposed, planning advice should be obtained before committing to the property.

CQC and supported living premises

Not every supported living arrangement creates the same CQC property requirements.

CQC's current location guidance distinguishes between the homes where people live and the premises from which a provider manages regulated care. For supported living services, the registered location is generally the premises from which care is routinely planned, coordinated and managed across the properties where people live.

This distinction is important when assessing supported living property.

A provider may operate care from an office while residents live in separate properties, or the management office may be located within a supported living building. The exact arrangement should be considered against the provider's intended model and CQC requirements.

CQC also states that a virtual office or PO Box cannot function as a location where the regulator needs to inspect premises.

Bedrooms and private accommodation

Bedrooms are one of the most important elements of supported living property.

Operators should assess:

• Bedroom size

• Natural light

• Ventilation

• Privacy

• Storage

• Accessibility

• Proximity to bathrooms

• Ground-floor options

• Space for specialist equipment

The ideal configuration depends on whether residents require fully self-contained accommodation or share communal facilities.

For some services, individual flats may be appropriate. For others, a shared house with private bedrooms and communal living areas may provide a more suitable model.

Bathrooms and accessibility

Bathroom provision should be considered early in the property search.

Potential requirements include:

• Level-access showers

• Wet rooms

• Accessible toilets

• Grab rails

• Turning space

• Specialist bathing equipment

• Ground-floor bathrooms

• Multiple bathrooms

• En-suite facilities

CQC guidance states that premises should provide adequate toilets and bathrooms where relevant and that people's needs should be considered when premises are designed, renovated or adapted.

A property that requires major bathroom adaptations should therefore be assessed against the overall refurbishment budget.

Communal areas and independent living

Supported living is intended to support people to live as independently as appropriate, so the property should provide a practical living environment.

Depending on the service, useful spaces can include:

• Communal lounges

• Dining areas

• Kitchens

• Quiet rooms

• Activity areas

• Study spaces

• Laundry facilities

• Staff offices

• Meeting rooms

• Private outdoor areas

The balance between private and communal space should reflect the needs of the residents.

Staff facilities and care management

Some supported living models require staff to be present for extended periods or around the clock.

Property requirements may therefore include:

• Staff office

• Secure records storage

• Staff toilet

• Staff rest area

• Overnight staff room

• Medication storage

• Equipment storage

• Meeting space

The amount of staff space required will depend on the support model and staffing arrangements.

Former care homes and supported living properties

Former care homes can sometimes provide useful opportunities for supported living operators.

They may already contain:

• Bedrooms

• Bathrooms

• Communal areas

• Staff facilities

• Accessible entrances

• Kitchens

• Gardens

• Fire safety infrastructure

However, a former care home should not automatically be considered suitable for supported living.

The building's planning status, layout, condition, accessibility and refurbishment requirements should all be assessed against the proposed service.

Buying supported living property

Operators and investors may consider purchasing property where long-term ownership is part of their strategy.

Potential acquisition opportunities include:

• Existing supported living properties

• Former care homes

• Large residential houses

• Bungalows

• Specialist disability accommodation

• Former healthcare properties

• Development sites

The acquisition budget should account for more than the property's asking price.

Potential costs include:

• Legal fees

• Survey costs

• Planning advice

• Professional fees

• Refurbishment

• Accessibility works

• Fire safety improvements

• Financing

• Furniture

• Specialist equipment

• Ongoing maintenance

Leasing property to a supported living provider

Landlords may also consider leasing suitable residential or specialist property to supported living operators.

Before agreeing to a lease, the landlord should understand:

• Proposed use

• Number of residents

• Nature of support

• Lease term

• Rent

• Rent reviews

• Repair obligations

• Insurance

• Planning position

• Alteration rights

• Refurbishment responsibilities

• Reinstatement requirements

For operators, lease terms should provide sufficient security to justify any investment needed to adapt the property.

Investment opportunities in supported living property

Supported living property can form part of a specialist care property investment strategy.

Investment models may include:

• Purchasing a property and leasing it to an operator

• Acquiring an existing supported living property

• Refurbishing a former care home

• Converting a residential property

• Developing purpose-designed accommodation

• Holding a freehold property for a long-term operator

Investors should assess the property, operator, lease, location, planning position, refurbishment costs and potential capital expenditure together.

The existence of a potential supported living use does not by itself guarantee that a property will be commercially viable.

Off-market supported living property

Some operators have very specific property requirements that can make conventional property searches inefficient.

Off-market sourcing can be useful where a provider requires:

• A particular number of bedrooms

• Wheelchair accessibility

• A large garden

• Ground-floor accommodation

• A specific London borough

• Existing care infrastructure

• A former care property

• Conversion potential

• A particular purchase or rental budget

A targeted property agent can approach owners and identify opportunities that may not be widely advertised.

Supported living property in London

London has a wide range of residential and specialist care property, but prices and planning considerations can vary considerably between boroughs.

Operators may consider:

• Local demand

• Property values

• Transport

• Healthcare access

• Community facilities

• Staff recruitment

• Planning considerations

• Parking

• Outdoor space

• Neighbourhood suitability

A supported living property agent can help compare locations according to the service model rather than simply searching for the cheapest available property.

Working with Fraser Bond

Fraser Bond can support supported living providers, care operators, landlords, investors and developers looking for suitable property across London and the UK.

Support can include:

• Supported living property sourcing

• Property acquisition

• Lease negotiations

• Investment assessment

• Planning coordination

• Refurbishment planning

• Building works

• Contractor coordination

• Property management

• Specialist care property sourcing

• Development consultancy

The objective is to identify property that works for the intended residents while also considering planning, accessibility, building condition and commercial requirements.

Finding a supported living property agent in the UK

A successful supported living property search starts with a clear property and service brief.

Before approaching an agent, operators should establish:

• Who the service will support

• Number of residents

• Type of support

• Required bedrooms

• Bathroom requirements

• Accessibility needs

• Staff requirements

• Preferred locations

• Purchase or rental budget

• Planning requirements

• Refurbishment budget

• Target occupation date

This allows the property search to focus on buildings that have realistic potential rather than generating a large number of unsuitable viewings.

Find suitable supported living property across the UK

Supported living property is a specialist area of the UK property market. The right building needs to provide an appropriate home environment while supporting the operational and regulatory requirements of the care provider.

Planning, accessibility, layout, location, building condition, refurbishment costs and lease or acquisition terms should all be assessed before committing to a property.

CQC's current guidance confirms that supported living services may have registered locations associated with the premises from which regulated care is managed, while the individual homes where people live are not generally locations in their own right.

Fraser Bond can help supported living providers, care operators, investors, landlords and developers source and assess suitable properties across London and the wider UK.

If you are looking for a supported living property agent, need property for a supported living provider or want to assess a residential or former care property for conversion, Fraser Bond can help develop a practical property sourcing and acquisition strategy.