Can I buy my home? (Right to Buy)
As a tenant you may qualify to buy your home at a discounted rate through either the Right to Buy or Right to Acquire schemes. London Living Rent tenants can buy a share of their home (except at some schemes).
Right to Acquire
You may also be able to buy your home is through the Right to Acquire scheme. This depends on whether or not your home was built with a Government grant (we can check this for you).
If you qualify for Right to Acquire you may be eligible for a discount on the full market value of your home. The maximum discount applicable for this scheme is £16,000.
Do I qualify?
To qualify under this scheme:
- You must have held a tenancy for a period of three years or more with a housing association or council
- The property must have been built or purchased by a Registered Social Landlord on or after 1 April 1997.
Preserved Right to Buy
If your home was a council property (and you were therefore a council tenant) and the ownership transferred to a housing association then you have Preserved Right Buy.
Your rights were protected so that you would still be able to buy your home, even though your landlord had changed.
Discounts
Under Preserved Right to Buy, the maximum discount is £34,000 in the East of England (including Hertfordshire), £38,000 in South East England and £16,000 in London.
Any discount is based on your years as a tenant (including those years that you were a council tenant). Some properties (such as sheltered housing) have always been excluded from the Preserved Right to Buy scheme.
If you applied to buy your home before 21 November 2024
The maximum discount you can get is whichever of the following is lower:
- 70% of the value of your property
- £136,400 if your home is in a London borough
- £102,400 if your home is outside London
If your landlord has spent money on your home
Your discount will be less if your landlord has spent money building or maintaining your home in the last 15 years - if you’re buying your home through Preserved Right to Buy, or if your landlord acquired your home after 2 April 2012.
More on Right to Buy discounts
How do I qualify?
To qualify under this scheme, you must:
- Have been a council tenant when your tenancy and property transferred to the housing association
- Have been eligible for Right to Buy at the time of the transfer or this right was granted at the time of transfer.
Right to Shared Ownership
The Right to Shared Ownership allows some tenants to chance to buy an equity stake in your home worth between 10% and 75% of its full market value. You would then own this equity stake on Shared Ownership terms.
Tenants living in homes we manage don't currently qualify for this scheme as it's only valid for those built as part of the Government's Affordable Homes programme (AHP) 2021-2026. We don't currently manage any homes built under this programme.
More information on Right to Shared Ownership
Consultation on changes to Right to Buy
The Government is consulting on proposed changes to Right to Buy scheme and this will include Preserved Right to Buy.
Information on proposed changes to Right to Buy
Take part in Right to Buy consultation
Buying shares in your home (London Living Rent)
London Living Rent tenants (except for certain schemes) can buy a share of their homes as long as they have the deposit and income to meet repayment obligations.
London Living Rent - Frequently asked Questions
