By the Beacon Living Group team · 5 July 2026 · 5 min read + 60-second quiz
Summary: Beacon Living Group works with structurally sound one to four-bedroom properties across Manchester that have real demand nearby, either on guaranteed rent under a three to five year lease or on serviced accommodation management where you keep the income. The first test is whether the numbers work: what the property can realistically earn as serviced accommodation has to cover the rent you need. The second is whether a contractor would actually want to stay there. Most ordinary Manchester houses and apartments qualify for one route or the other. Take the 60-second check below, then get a definitive answer with a free assessment.
The most common question we get from Manchester landlords is not about the money or the contract. It is simpler: would you actually take my property? This article sets out our honest criteria, the things that help, the things that do not matter as much as people think, and the few things that genuinely rule a property out.
Answer five questions. This is an indication, not a formal offer; the definitive answer comes from a proper assessment, which is free. See what happens during a guaranteed rent assessment for the full stage-by-stage walkthrough.
The numbers have to work. This is the first test and the one that decides most cases. We work backwards from what the property can realistically earn as serviced accommodation, using the occupancy the local market actually achieves rather than a best case, and then check what is left once bills, cleaning, platform fees, insurance and maintenance are paid. If the rent you need is more than that supports, no amount of goodwill fixes it, and we will tell you straight away rather than string the conversation out. It is also why a property we turn down for guaranteed rent can still be a good fit for management, where the arithmetic works differently.
Location relative to demand. We are not looking for glamour; we are looking for reasons people need to stay nearby. Hospitals, business parks, transport links, stadiums and regeneration zones all count. A terraced house near North Manchester General Hospital can be a stronger serviced accommodation prospect than a smarter property with nothing around it. Our areas page shows where we are most active.
Would a contractor actually want to stay there? We ask this about every property, because contractors and relocating workers are who fills these houses midweek. In practice that means bedrooms with room to move rather than boxrooms, parking available and ideally off street, local shops and a supermarket within easy reach, decent transport, and a straightforward commute to the major building sites, hospitals and business parks nearby. A house that ticks those is worth more to us than a smarter one that does not.
Size and layout. One to four bedrooms covers almost everything we take. Two- and three-bedroom properties are the workhorses because they suit contractors sharing, small families relocating and professionals who want space to work.
Condition. Sound structure, safe electrics and gas, no significant damp. Decor matters less than landlords expect: light cosmetic refresh is typically included as part of setup. Where bigger refurbishment would materially raise the achievable rent, we discuss it openly rather than walking away.
The lease you can offer. The model works on a three to five year corporate lease. If you need the property back within a year, guaranteed rent is the wrong product for you, and we will say so.
Serious structural problems, unresolved damp, unsafe electrics or gas, and head leases that prohibit subletting or short stays are the genuine blockers. A mortgage lender or freeholder who refuses consent ends the conversation too, though consent can often be obtained with the right approach. Everything else, including furniture, decor and even sitting tenants approaching the end of a tenancy, is usually workable. This is general information, not legal advice; check your specific mortgage and lease terms, or ask a solicitor, before relying on it.
Guaranteed rent is not the only route, and it is not always the right one. If your property suits serviced accommodation but the rent you need is above what a guaranteed lease can carry, management is usually the better answer for both of us.
Guaranteed rent. We take a three to five year corporate lease and pay you a fixed sum every month whether the property is occupied or not. You carry no void risk, no tenant management and no agency fees, and you accept a rent below the open market figure in exchange for that certainty. It suits landlords who value a predictable payment above all else.
Serviced accommodation management. You keep the property and the income, and we run it as serviced accommodation for a management fee. Listings, pricing, guests, cleaning, linen, maintenance and compliance are all ours. Your income moves with how the property performs, which in a strong location usually beats a guaranteed figure, and there is no lease and no fixed term to commit to. It suits landlords who want the upside and are comfortable with income that varies month to month.
You do not need to decide which one you want before speaking to us. The assessment prices both and tells you which is better for your property, including when the honest answer is neither.
Structurally sound one to four-bedroom properties in Manchester and Greater Manchester with good access to hospitals, business districts or transport, available on a lease of three years or more. Two- and three-bedroom properties near demand drivers are typically the strongest fits.
No. Beacon furnishes and equips properties to serviced accommodation standard as part of setup. Unfurnished is often simpler.
Light cosmetic work is fine and refurbishment is sometimes agreed as part of the deal. Serious structural issues, damp or unsafe electrics need resolving before any operator can take the property on.
Often yes, but the head lease matters. Some leases restrict subletting or short stays, so we check the lease terms as part of the assessment.
Then guaranteed rent is not the right product and we will say so rather than make an offer we cannot stand behind. We work backwards from what the property can realistically earn as serviced accommodation at the occupancy the local market actually achieves, and what is left after bills, cleaning, platform fees, insurance and maintenance sets the ceiling. Where that gap exists, management is often the better answer, because you keep the income rather than trading it for certainty.
Yes. Under management you keep the property and the income and we run it as serviced accommodation for a fee, handling listings, pricing, guests, cleaning, linen, maintenance and compliance. There is no lease and no fixed term. Your income varies with performance rather than being fixed, which in a strong location usually works out higher than a guaranteed figure. The free assessment prices both routes so you can compare them side by side.
Request a free assessment. You receive a clear yes or no and, if yes, the exact fixed monthly rent on offer, usually within 48 hours.
About Beacon Living Group. Beacon Living Group is a Manchester serviced accommodation operator. It runs landlords’ properties as serviced accommodation, where the owner keeps the income, and also offers guaranteed rent on 3- to 5-year corporate leases with a fixed monthly rent and no fees. Beacon Living Group Ltd is registered in England and Wales, company no. 17076795.
A free assessment tells you whether your property qualifies and the exact fixed rent on offer, usually within 48 hours.
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