Real property – land or buildings – is held in trust by Britain Yearly Meeting, area meetings and their associated charities, to be used for their charitable purposes, either generally or for specific uses as determined by the donor. Real property can be either functional, being held by Friends for their own occupation and use, or investment property to produce income; some properties may serve both purposes. Local meetings and other bodies subordinate to area meetings do not own property themselves (see 14.14). Legal responsibility for the purchase, upkeep, use and disposal of real property rests with the trustees of the relevant meeting even if Friends Trusts Limited (see 14.45) is the custodian trustee, holding trustee or else nominee of the property. The property of area meetings usually consists of meeting houses and burial grounds.

See also 5.09, 15.05f, 15.05g and 15.17