While most shelters for abused women in Sweden used to be run by the women’s movement, about half of the shelters are, today, operated by private companies. The social services’ procurement of these shelters has resulted in increased demands for quality and monito-ring. This article examines perceptions of quality regarding shelters among local politicians on municipal level and managers in the social services. The analysis shows that perceptions of quality range from adherence to the social services’ assignment orders to evidence, cost-effectiveness, and competence among staff both at the social services and shelters. Moreover, an overly “caring” attitude among staff both at the social services and shelters is portrayed as problematic and unprofessional. The article concludes that the social services’ work with quality, procurement of, and placements in shelters can constitute an unwieldy conf lict surface where logics and practices typical of both market and welfare are pitted against each other