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Are you eligible?

You may be if you:

• are a secure or assured tenant
• have been a public sector tenant for at least two years or five years if you became a public sector tenant after 18 January 2005

And you live in:

• a qualifying property
• a property that was built or acquired by a housing association, both charitable and non-charitable, with public funds from 01 April 1997 onwards
• a property that was transferred from a local authority to a housing association after 1 April 1997

You may be classified as a public sector tenant if you have previously lived in properties provided by your local authority, the Armed services, fire service or police authority.

For more information on the scheme, read the leaflet ‘Guide to the right to acquire’ from the link below.

• What is an assured tenancy?
• Download ‘Guide to the Right to Acquire’ (PDF, 174K) Opens new window
• Help with PDF files

You will not be eligible if

• you are a council tenant
• the courts have issued a possession order for you to leave your home
• you are undergoing bankruptcy proceedings
• you live in housing specially provided for older people and (in certain cases) disabled people

Council tenants may have access to discounts on buying their property through the ‘Right to Buy scheme’.

• The Right to Buy scheme

Discounts available

• discounts range from £9,000 to £16,000 depending on where you live
• if you applied to the scheme on or after 18th January 2005, and decide you want to sell the property within five years of buying it you will have to repay some or all your discount - the amount you repay depends on the how long after you got the discount you want to sell.

• if you decide to sell your property after five years you will not have to pay the discount back.
• if you decide to sell your property within 10 years then you will have to offer the property to your landlord first at market value - if your landlord doesn’t want it then you are free to sell the property on the open market.

How to apply and next steps

Contact your landlord for an application form and who will make a decision about whether you qualify for the Right to Acquire for your current property or an alternative property.

If the alternative property is in another area you may qualify for a different discount. You don’t have to accept the alternative property and your landlord doesn’t have to offer you an alternative property.

If you do qualify, your landlord will send you a notice outlining:

• a description of the property and any land included in the price
• details of your discount and how it has been calculated
• the price the landlord thinks you should pay for the property and how this has been calculated
• estimates of any service charges
• any structural problems the property may have
• terms and conditions of the sale

If you disagree with the price given for your home you can ask for an independent valuation by the District Valuer. However, the Valuer’s decision is final so if it is found that the value of your house is higher than the one given by your landlord you must stick to it.

Buying your home

You must make your decision about whether you want to go ahead with buying the property within three months of receiving the notice.

It is advisable to get independent financial and legal advice as well as getting a survey. You may need to arrange a mortgage to pay for the property and you will need a legal representative to help you draw up contracts.

There are many additional costs involved in both the home - buying process and owning a home. Read ‘Planning for buying a home’ to help you estimate some the costs involved.

• Planning for buying a home (money, tax and benefits section)
• Advice on getting a building survey
• Help finding and choosing a solicitor

More useful links

• Citizens Advice Bureau Opens new window