What is warden-controlled housing?

Warden-controlled housing is a type of sheltered housing or retirement housing in the UK, where a warden or manager lives either on-site or close to the development. In most cases you’ll have your own private property - there’s a wide range of warden-controlled housing to rent or buy available, including flats and bungalows.

With this retirement housing option, you'll always have someone living nearby if you need a bit of help or if there's an emergency. However, they do not usually offer personal and domestic care support as standard.

McCarthy & Stone developments share several similar aspects to warden-controlled accommodation. However, there are some differences to be aware of as well. In this guide, we’ll provide more details about warden-assisted housing as a retirement housing option and how it compares to life in our developments.

Is warden-controlled housing the same as private sheltered accommodation?

Warden-assisted living is a type of private sheltered accommodation and is specially designed to support specific groups of people who are older or vulnerable or have disabilities. Many retirement communities share similarities to warden-controlled housing and it can be a great solution for people who want extra support and security while maintaining independence.

Does McCarthy & Stone have warden-controlled housing?

Our Retirement Living communities are similar to warden-controlled housing. In both cases, you'll usually benefit from:

A safe, secure, self-contained and low maintenance property.
Help nearby for peace of mind and a 24-hour emergency call our system.
Shared areas, such as a communal lounge and garden.
A ready-made community for you to mix and socialise with.

Our teams don’t live in at the development, but there is still plenty of support on-hand:

With our Retirement Living communities, you’ll benefit from a House Manager on-site weekdays during office hours.
With our Retirement Living Plus communities, there is a manager on-site 24 hours every day of the year.

A group of homeowners sitting around a table talking to the House Manager at a McCarthy & Stone development.

Levels of care in our retirement living communities

We offer two levels of support at our retirement communities: Retirement Living and Retirement Living Plus.

Retirement Living - independent living for over 60s

With a Retirement Living apartment, you'll have a dedicated House Manager who's on-site during office hours. As well as making sure everything in your development runs smoothly, they help to organise events and activities chosen by the homeowners - and they're a friendly face for you to call on if you ever need to.

Retirement Living Plus - assisted living for over 70s

A Retirement Living Plus apartment offers a greater range of support and services, including:

An Estate Management team that's on-site 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to support you and for total reassurance.
An hour of help around the home each week as standard. You can use this for things like cleaning or changing your bedding.
A flexible level of personal and domestic care, with a dedicated on site team. If your needs change, so can your care - and you'll only ever pay for what you need.

Find assisted living near you

If you’re looking for private sheltered accommodation near you, explore our retirement properties and see if any of our apartments or bungalows are a good fit for your needs.