Could you buy your home through Right to Buy?

Do you rent your home from the council? You might be able to buy it at a big discount! The Right to Buy scheme helps council tenants become homeowners, sometimes saving tens of thousands of pounds.

The information in this blog relates to Right to Buy in England only. Scotland and Wales have ended their Right to Buy schemes. The House Sales Scheme is an alternative option available in Northern Ireland.

What is the Right to Buy scheme?

Right to Buy gives council tenants the chance to buy their home at a discounted price.

How much discount could I get?

• Up to £38,000 off the market value (for most of England)
• Up to £16,000 off the market value (in London)

These discounts increase each year with inflation.

Key things to know

💡Most lenders accept your discount as your deposit

💡You'll need to cover legal fees, surveys, and Stamp Duty

💡Once you own the home, you'll be responsible for all repairs

💡You'll no longer be able to claim housing benefits

You can find more details about costs and eligibility on the government website.

Council tenants and Right to Buy

Right to Buy is available to people who rent their homes from their local council. To be eligible, you must meet certain criteria:

• you must have been a public sector tenant for at least three years in total
• you must be a secure tenant (which means you have a legal contract with your landlord)
• the property must be your only or main home
• your home is not sheltered accommodation or otherwise suitable for elderly or disabled people
• you aren't bankrupt (or in the process of being made bankrupt)
• you don't have an outstanding Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) or Debt Relief Order (DRO)
• you haven't been ordered to leave your home by a court
• your home is not due to be demolished

The Right to Buy process step-by-step

If you're eligible for Right to Buy, here's what happens next:

Apply - Fill in the RTB1 form

Wait for confirmation - Your landlord has 4 weeks to confirm whether you can buy your home

Receive your offer - If approved, your landlord has 8 weeks to send you an offer (12 weeks for leasehold properties):

• This offer will include the property price
• The discount you'll receive
• Any conditions of sale

Decision time - You have 12 weeks to accept or decline the offer

Legal work - If you accept, you'll need a solicitor to handle:

• Property surveys
• Searches
• Mortgage arrangements
• Paperwork and contracts

Completion - Once everything is in order, you'll complete the purchase and get the keys to your own home!

Housing association tenants: your options

Most housing association tenants don't currently have the right to buy their homes. There are two main exceptions:

What is preserved Right to Buy?

This applies to homes that were transferred from council ownership to a housing association. You qualify if:

✅ You were living there when the transfer took place

✅ You're still in the same property (or moved to another with the same landlord)

The discounts match standard Right to Buy rates (up to £38,000, or £16,000 in London).

Not sure if you qualify? Ask your landlord or check on the government website.

What is Right to Acquire?

Right to Acquire is a similar scheme but with smaller discounts (£9,000-£16,000 depending on location). You may qualify if:

✅ Your home was built or bought with government funding

✅ You've been a public sector tenant for 3+ years

✅ You meet standard eligibility criteria (not bankrupt, etc.)

Learn more about Right to Acquire.

What's the difference between Right to Buy and Right to Acquire?

Many people get confused between these two schemes. Here's a simple breakdown of the key differences:

Feature	Right to Buy	Right to Acquire
Who can use it?	Council tenants	Housing association tenants
Discount amount	Up to £38,000 (£16,000 in London)	£9,000-£16,000 depending on area
Property types	Most council properties	Only certain housing association properties
Eligibility period	3 years as public sector tenant	3 years as public sector tenant
Landlord obligation	Must sell if you're eligible	Only certain properties qualify

The biggest difference is the amount of discount you can get. Right to Buy offers much larger discounts than Right to Acquire. This is why many housing association tenants are hoping the government will extend the full Right to Buy scheme to them in the future.

Private tenants and Right to Buy

The Right to Buy scheme only applies to council and some housing association tenants. If you rent from a private landlord, you don't have the automatic right to buy your home at a discount.

However, if you'd like to buy your privately rented home:

• You can always ask your landlord if they'd consider selling
• There's no guaranteed discount as with Right to Buy
• The price would be negotiated between you and your landlord

Some potential advantages to mention when discussing with your landlord:

• No estate agent fees for them
• Potentially quicker and smoother sale process
• They may be happy to sell to a tenant who looks after the property

If your landlord isn't willing to sell, there are other government schemes to help first-time buyers get on the property ladder.

Selling your Right to Buy home

If you sell your home within five years of buying it through Right to Buy, you'll usually need to pay back some or all of the discount. The amount depends on how long you've owned the home:

• Within first year: 100% of discount
• Within second year: 80% of discount
• Within third year: 60% of discount
• Within fourth year: 40% of discount
• Within fifth year: 20% of discount

The amount you pay back will be a percentage of the market value when you sell.

If you decide to sell your Right to Buy home within the first 10 years of purchase, you must first offer it to your old landlord or another social landlord in the area, and the property must be sold at the full market price.

Not eligible for Right to Buy?

There are other government schemes that might help you get onto the property ladder, such as Shared Ownership or First Homes. Each scheme has different eligibility criteria, so it's worth exploring all your options.