The core distinction
C2 residential care is a registered institution: the provider runs the home, staff are on site, residents live there under the provider's registration. Supported living is a tenancy model: the individual holds a tenancy of the property and buys care as a separate, commissioned service.
Planning
- C2 care almost always requires Use Class C2 consent.
- Supported living can sit within C3 in many cases, but not all — LPAs increasingly scrutinise it, especially where support is intensive or the property is HMO-shaped.
- Some LPAs treat supported living as sui generis. Local advice matters.
Funding
C2 income is a fee for placement, paid by the local authority to the provider. Supported living income is rent (often housing-benefit or exempt-accommodation rent) plus a separately commissioned care package.
Which one applies to your property?
Room count, layout, tenure model and the provider you're working with all decide this. If you're unsure, run the quiz and we'll flag which route is realistic for your specific building.