About

What is property guardianship?

This describes the law in England. Wales has different rules (since December 2022 most paying occupiers, licensees included, hold an "occupation contract"), and so do Scotland and Northern Ireland.

A property guardian lives in a building that would otherwise sit empty: an old office, care home, school, pub or a house waiting to be sold or redeveloped. The owner gets someone on site, which helps deter squatters and vandalism. The guardian gets a home, generally for less than local rents.

Guardians pay a monthly payment to a guardian firm, which acts for the owner. It is called a licence fee, not rent, because the agreement is a licence, not a tenancy. Rooms are often shared, and the building may not look like a normal home. The stay is temporary: the owner can usually take the building back at short notice, and the firm then ends your agreement. In England the firm must give you at least 4 weeks' notice on a rolling agreement.

Is it safe?

It depends on the building and the firm, so there is no single answer. We list the firms we can find operating in the UK, but we have not inspected any building and do not vouch for any firm. Facts worth knowing:

• In England, guardians usually have fewer legal protections than tenants (see the next section), and notice to leave is often short.
• Buildings were not always built to live in. In England the firm must still arrange a gas safety check every year, an electrical check at least every 5 years, and working smoke alarms (plus carbon monoxide alarms where needed). Ask to see the certificates, and ask about fire alarms and escape routes.
• A shared guardian building can count as a house in multiple occupation (HMO). The Court of Appeal confirmed this in 2023. Larger HMOs need a licence from the council and must meet extra fire-safety and management rules. You can ask the firm for the licence, or check the council's public register of licensed HMOs.
• Read the whole agreement before you pay anything: the monthly payment, deposit, notice period, rules on guests, and who to contact if something breaks.

Licence vs tenancy

Calling an agreement a licence does not settle it on its own: what counts is what the agreement and the arrangement really give you. A county court once found a guardian was a tenant (2017), but the higher courts have since upheld guardian licences, even where the guardian in practice had a room of their own (the High Court in 2018 and the Court of Appeal in 2021). A tenancy is possible on unusual facts, but don't count on it.

Which rights apply to you depends on the exact agreement, the circumstances and where in the UK the building is. If in doubt, ask a housing adviser before you sign.

Eviction and deposits

• In England a rolling licence needs at least 4 weeks' notice, and if you stay the firm normally needs a court order. Being locked out or harassed to make you leave is illegal. Since 1 May 2026 councils can fine a firm up to £40,000 for it.
• The 2026 changes for renters (2 months' notice, no "no-fault" evictions, bans on turning away people on benefits or with children) are for tenancies. The government said in July 2026 that the bans "do not apply to licenses to occupy". What does reach guardians: if a building should have had an HMO licence and didn't, a tribunal can order payments to be paid back: up to 2 years' worth for offences since 1 May 2026.
• A guardian's deposit does not have to go into a government protection scheme. The Tenant Fees Act still applies to licences: a security deposit is capped at 5 weeks' payment (for a yearly total under £50,000), a holding deposit at 1 week's payment, and firms cannot charge other fees beyond those the Act allows.

Read more in the GOV.UK fact sheet for property guardians and Shelter's property guardian advice. General information, not legal advice.

Glossary

Monthly payment

What a guardian pays each month. Guardians pay a licence fee, not rent, because the agreement is a licence, not a tenancy. On this site we call it the monthly payment. A weekly price is converted to a month, and the weekly figure is shown beside it.

Bills

Gas, electricity and water. "Bills included" means the firm says they are in the monthly payment. Broadband and council tax are separate, each with its own line. Where the firm doesn't say, we say so.

All-in

The monthly payment plus the bills the firm says are extra, added together, so you can compare homes on what you would really pay. Shown only when the firm's page gives the numbers.

Guardian

The person who lives in the building. The firm has an agreement with the owner and gives you permission to live there (a licence).

Holding deposit

Money a firm takes to hold a room while it checks you. In England it is capped at one week's payment, and it must be refunded or put towards your first payment, except in a few cases, such as if you pull out or give false information.

Security deposit

Money held against damage or unpaid payments. In England it is capped at five weeks' payment for a yearly total under £50,000.