Under the Right to Buy (RTB) scheme, most council tenants and housing association tenants have the right to buy their council home at a discount.
You need to be a secure tenant and have been a public sector tenant for at least 3 years.
The government's Right to Buy service
The government’s Right to Buy service can help with:
- finding out if you are eligible for the right to buy
- working out your discount
- looking at your funding choices
- guidance about the costs involved and whether you can afford it long term
- completing your application form
- finding a solicitor.
Discount
The discount is calculated based on a number of factors including the length of tenancy, and any time spent as a tenant of another local authority.
The current maximum discount is capped at £84,600.
It applies to applications which are served on the landlord by the tenant on or after 6 April 2021.
It does not apply retrospectively to applications made before 6 April 2021.
It will increase each year in April in line with the consumer price index (CPI).
Check if you can afford to buy your home
Buying a home is an expensive process. You should check if you can afford it before you submit a Right to Buy application.
You also need to be sure you can afford the ongoing costs of owning a home. If you do not make your mortgage payments, your mortgage lender could repossess your home.
Visit the government’s MoneyHelper website for estimates of the upfront and ongoing costs of buying your home.
Standard Conditions of Sale
If you sell your property within 5 years of buying it, you will have to repay some or all of the discount you received. If you wish to sell your property within 10 years of buying your property you must offer it to either us or another social landlord in your area, before putting your property on the market.
We have no obligation to carry out certain repairs and maintenance works once a property is subject to RTB, between the time the application is made and the time the purchase/sale actually takes place.
How to apply
To get an application form to buy your council home visit the Right to Buy website.
Post your completed form to: