Every Specialists Supported Housing property is sold freehold. That's a deliberate structural choice, and it's worth understanding what it actually changes for you as an investor, compared with the leasehold flats that make up a large share of the UK buy-to-let market.
What freehold ownership means
As freeholder, you own the property and the land it sits on outright, indefinitely. There's no lease term counting down, no leasehold extension to negotiate or pay for down the line, and no third-party freeholder able to levy charges you don't control.
No ground rent, no service charge
Leasehold flats typically carry an annual ground rent and a service charge for buildings maintenance, both of which reduce your net income and can rise over time, sometimes steeply. SSH freehold properties carry neither. The NET yield figure you see reflects income after these costs are already accounted for, because there aren't any.
Who handles maintenance, then?
Under the lease with the care provider, maintenance and repair responsibility typically sits with the tenant under a full repairing and insuring (FRI) structure, not with you as landlord. This is a different arrangement to a standard leasehold buy-to-let, where the freeholder or management company usually handles the building's structure and shared areas.
What to check before buying
Freehold status should be confirmed by your solicitor as part of conveyancing, along with the specific lease terms with the care provider, since it's the lease, not the freehold structure alone, that determines your income and obligations. Our team can talk you through the specific lease for any development you're considering.
See how ownership structure and yield combine over time using our Returns Calculator, or get in touch with questions about a specific property.