Buying your home

Right To Buy

The Right to Buy scheme gives most financially secure council tenants (and some housing association tenants) the right to buy their home at a discount.  

Am I eligible?

You could be eligible for a Right to Buy discount if:

• You are a council tenant
• The property is your only or main home
• You have been a public sector tenant (usually a tenant of a council or a housing association) for at least 3 years. Please visit the Government website for a list of Public Sector Landlords
• You don’t live in sheltered housing or other housing particularly suitable for elderly or disabled people
• You don’t have any legal problems with debt
• You don’t have any outstanding possession orders

What will the discount be?

You can get a discount on the market value of your home when you buy it if you qualify for Right to Buy. The discount is based on:

• how long you’ve been a tenant with a public sector landlord
• the type of property you’re buying - a flat or house
• the value of your home

You’ll usually have to repay some or all your discount if you sell your home within 5 years.

For further guidance on discounts, including a Right to Buy calculator which helps you work out if you can afford it, please visit the Government website.

Things to consider

If you buy your home, it is important to remember that there will be a number of expenses to consider as part of the house-buying process. There will also be ongoing costs of owning a home.

You should think about how you would make payments if you (or anyone you are buying with) lost some, or all, of their income.

Remember, buying your home is a big decision. If you haven't done so already, you should get impartial financial and legal advice before buying. You can get free information and advice from:

• The Government's right to buy website and helpline 0300 123 0913
• For legal matters contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau
• For budgeting and financial advice, contact the Money Advice Service 0300 500 5000; www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en

How to apply

If you would like to apply for the Right to Buy, please complete and send us BOTH of the following forms.

Right to Buy 1 Form

Financial Information Form

We will not be able to progress your application unless both forms are completed and sent to us.

Further information

For further details, please see the Right to Buy guide from the Department of Communities and Local Government.

Long Leaseholders

If you have bought a council flat or have a long term lease agreement with us, our long leaseholder pages give useful information on issues such as your service charges, planned works etc as well as your leaseholder's handbook.

For those of you living or renting in the private sector, please see our private sector housing pages for advice on various issues such as:

• grants available;
• information for tenants and landlords in the private sector including illegal eviction;
• energy efficiency; and
• empty homes.

Follow this link for further information about Government schemes Help to Buy, Shared Ownership and Equity Loans.

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