Our guide to Right to Buy and Right to Acquire

What is Right to Buy

Right to Buy is a government scheme aimed at helping council tenants to buy the home they currently live in, at a significant discount.

What is Right to Acquire?

Right to Acquire is a similar scheme aimed at those renting homes from housing associations, but the discount involved will be smaller.

If you’re either a council or housing association tenant, you may well have the right to buy the home you live in, at a reasonable cost.

Am I eligible for Right to Buy? 

You could be eligible for Right to Buy if you currently live in a self-contained council home, which is your only or main home, and you’re a secure tenant. You’ll also need to have had a public sector landlord (such as the council, or a housing association) for at least three years, but these don’t have to be consecutive.

You may also be eligible under ‘Preserved Right to Buy’ if your current home used to be owned by the council, but was sold on to a housing association or other landlord, while you were living in it. 

There is a Voluntary Right to Buy pilot running in some parts of England, which you may be able to sign up for if you live in a former council house but you weren’t living there when it was sold.

Am I eligible for Right to Acquire?

You could be eligible for Right to Acquire if you currently live in a self-contained housing association home, which is your only or main home.

Your property must also have been either:

• A former council home transferred to a housing association after 31st March 1997

Or

• Built or bought by a housing association after 31st March 1997 (funded through a social housing grant)

There are eligibility checkers available on government websites, such as this one. If you want to go ahead, you’ll have to fill in a Right to Buy or Right to Acquire application form, and if your landlord is in agreement, they’ll respond with a price for your home, details of your discount, and a description of what’s included in the price.¹

Depending on the lender, a deposit may not be required when you buy a house using Right to Buy or Right to acquire.

Some lenders will let you use your Right to Buy or Right to Acquire discount to cover the deposit.

Keep in mind that without putting down a deposit you’re likely to miss out on more competitive deals, so it’s worth getting advice from a broker who’ll be able to scan the market for the best rates.

What is the House Sales scheme?

With the House Sales scheme, those who are social housing tenants could be eligible to buy their home at a lower price. The maximum discount is £24,000.³

Your discount will depend on how long you’ve lived in the property to intend to buy.

More detail about the ins and outs of the scheme can be found at nidirect.gov.uk.

Am I eligible for the House Sales scheme?

Secure tenants of the Housing Executive, a housing association or some other qualifying body for 5 years or more may be eligible for the scheme.

However, you won’t be eligible if:

• You live in sheltered housing

• You live in a property that’s part of a group housing scheme

• You live in a single storey or ground floor property (other than a flat) with less than 2 bedrooms

• You are a squatter

• The Housing Executive or association currently takes or intends to take legal ownership of the home

How do you apply for the House Sales scheme?

Applying to buy a Housing Executive home

If you want to apply to purchase your Housing Executive home, there is an application to complete.

Applying to buy a housing association home 

If you want to apply to purchase your housing association home, you should directly contact your housing association.

The information on this page was sourced from Gov.uk unless otherwise stated below: