Glossary
Licensing (supported housing)
In one sentence
The council-run licensing regime for supported exempt accommodation planned under the 2023 Act, expected to start in 2027.
Licence holders will have to meet the national supported housing standards, pass a fit and proper person test that extends to the board, check service managers' suitability and ensure every resident has a needs assessment within four weeks of moving in. A separate licence for each scheme will not be needed.
Related terms
National supported housing standardsStandards for the support provided in supported exempt accommodation, set under the 2023 Act and enforced through licensing.Fit and proper person testA check on whether the people running a licensed service are suitable, extended to boards under supported housing licensing.Supported housing strategyThe strategy every local housing authority in England must publish after reviewing supported exempt accommodation in its area.
Where it comes up
- Property standards and safety in supported housingThere are no special property standards for supported housing. The ordinary rules apply in full: the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, HMO licensing, fire safety law, gas and electrical checks, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and, for registered providers, Awaab's Law and the Decent Homes Standard. The 2026 response added no new accommodation standards.
- Grey areas in exempt and supported accommodationMost disputes in exempt accommodation come from questions the regulations never fully answer. How much support is more than minimal, when a support provider acts for the landlord, whether a CIC is a voluntary organisation, and how HMO, planning and tenancy law apply. Decisions turn on facts, so the safest position is a structure that matches what happens day to day.
- What is exempt accommodation?Exempt accommodation is supported housing where the landlord is a housing association, registered charity, voluntary organisation or non-metropolitan county council, and that landlord, or someone acting for it, gives the resident more than minimal care, support or supervision. Housing Benefit pays the rent, and the usual local rent caps do not apply.