Inside social housing
There are 12 categories in social and care housing. We specialise in three.
Most landlords think supported housing is one thing. It isn't. MJC Property Partners matches landlords, agents and sourcers with vetted care providers across supported living, social housing and emergency housing. All three pathways below are underpinned by government funding and long-term demand — and we manage every introduction and the lease process, right through to key handover.
Download the full guide01
Care and Support Accommodation
Also known as exempt or specified accommodation
The easiest entry point. No CQC registration needed — standard houses and HMOs work as they are. Rent is funded through enhanced Housing Benefit because the provider delivers support alongside the housing, so it sits above Local Housing Allowance caps.
Who lives here
- People experiencing or at risk of homelessness
- Domestic abuse survivors rebuilding their lives
- Veterans leaving military accommodation
- People in recovery from addiction
- Rough sleepers stepping into stable housing
What it means for your property
- Provider
- Registered charity, housing association or voluntary organisation
- Support level
- Around 5 hours per week per tenant
- Typical lease
- 3 to 5 years, with the provider — not the tenants
- Rent
- Housing Benefit funded above LHA rates
- Voids
- None — the provider pays whether rooms are filled or not
- Management fee
- None. You keep the building, they keep the people
Free to submit. Nothing is publicly listed and every introduction is made by us.
02
CQC-Registered Supported Housing
Specialist supported housing for high or complex needs
Purpose-designed or adapted homes for people with long-term, high-level care needs, usually one or two residents per property. The care provider must be CQC-registered, care runs 20+ hours a week and leases are long because the commissioning relationship behind them is long.
Who lives here
- Adults with learning disabilities
- Autism spectrum conditions
- Severe and enduring mental health conditions
- Acquired brain injuries
- Often one or two residents per home, not a house of six
What it means for your property
- Provider
- CQC registration is mandatory
- Care delivery
- 20+ hours a week; some schemes have waking night or 24-hour cover
- Property
- Often adapted — wet rooms, wide doorways, sensory space
- Typical lease
- 5 to 25 years with registered providers
- Rent
- Enhanced Housing Benefit, assessed on the real cost of the scheme
- Tenant stability
- Placements are built around the person and rarely move
Free to submit. Nothing is publicly listed and every introduction is made by us.
03
Children's Homes
Ofsted-regulated, local-authority funded
The highest lease values in the sector. An Ofsted-registered operator takes the property on a full repairing and insuring lease and runs the home, funded by local authority children's services. A four-bed children's home can earn more than four separate buy-to-lets combined.
Who lives here
- Children and young people in local authority care
- Each child has their own bedroom
- Homely, domestic-scale environments, never institutional
- London and the South East are critically short of beds
- The North West is oversupplied, location matters here
What it means for your property
- Planning
- C2 use class — planning permission required, not C3 residential
- Property
- 3 to 5+ bedrooms, staff sleep-in room, office space, safe outdoor space
- Safety
- Full fire safety to BS 5839 and LACORS guidance
- Rent
- £3,500 to £8,000+ per month
- Typical lease
- 5 to 25 years, FRI
- Voids
- Zero — the operator pays regardless, and covers internal repairs
Free to submit. Nothing is publicly listed and every introduction is made by us.
Real numbers
One property, two routes. Different outcome.
A three-bed terrace we worked on. On the traditional route the owner faced £7,500 upfront before a penny of rent arrived. On the care provider route the property was handed over immediately, the provider paid for the refurbishment, and the rent was agreed above market for five years.
Before — traditional let
- Market rent
- £1,100–£1,200 / month
- Works needed
- Full painting, carpets, kitchen floor & tiling, bathroom cabinet + toilet
- Refurb cost
- £6,000
- Lost rent (1 month)
- £1,200
- Council tax & utilities
- £300
- Agent fee (8%)
- £1,152 / year
Total setup: around £7,500 upfront, plus £1,152 a year in agent fees.
After — care provider lease
- Rent agreed
- £1,250 / month (above market)
- Landlord cost
- 4 months rent-free = £4,750
- Refurb & utilities
- All paid by the provider
- Handover
- Immediate — no voids
- Rent starts
- End of month 4
- Lease
- 5-year lease, rent review at year 2
Total cost: £4,750 in rent-free time. No agent fees, no voids, hands-free income.
| Scenario | Upfront cost | Monthly rent | Extra fees | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional let | £7,500+ | £1,100–£1,200 | Agent fees (£1,152/yr), voids | Stress and time lost |
| Care provider lease | £4,750 (4 months rent-free) | £1,250 guaranteed for 5 years | None | Hands-free income |
Free to submit. We vet every property and provider, then handle the lease process through to key handover.
Free guide
Inside Social Housing — three categories, one clear guide
Our full landlord guide to safe homes and secure income, written from the work we do every week. Tell us where to send it and the download opens straight away.
- The 12 categories in social and care housing — and the three MJC specialises in
- What CQC registration means for you, and when it isn't needed
- Lease lengths, rent levels and who pays for what in each pathway
- The full before-and-after case study with the numbers
- Where children's home demand outstrips supply, region by region