For many council tenants, Right to Buy offers a unique opportunity.
It’s the chance to make their home truly theirs by buying it at an affordable price. With this government scheme, home ownership is within reach for those who may have thought it was out of their grasp.
If you are unsure where to start, then look no further. Our advisors can help start the process with you and seek where to find out how much discount you are eligible for and how the process works.
What is Right to Buy?
Right to Buy to a scheme set up to allow council residents who are eligible to purchase their council homes at a discount. The discount applied is subject to the length of time you have been a tenant with a public sector landlord and details of the discount are provided by the Landlord themselves.
How does the discount work?
A discount is applied on the market value of the property and the discount is determined by the period of time you have been a tenant under a public sector landlord such as the Council or Housing Association.
Another factor taken into consideration is the property type you live in. Whether this be a flat or a house, each is viewed and assessed differently.
How to Apply for my Right to Buy?
You can apply by completing the Right to Buy application form (RTB1 Notice) which can be found on the government website. Once this has been filled in, you will need to send this onto your landlord.
Your landlord will then come back to you to confirm if they are happy to sell or not. If they are not willing to sell, then they need to provide you with a reason.
If the landlord agrees to sell, then they will send you an offer. This will confirm the value of the property and discount applied, for you to then start the mortgage application process.
Things to consider
To be eligible to purchase your council property through Right to Buy, there are some criteria you need to meet.
- The property has to be your only and main residential home.
- The property is self-contained.
- You are a recognised, secure tenant of the property you are purchasing.
- You have a landlord that is part of a recognised public sector for example council or housing association for a minimum of three years. (It doesn’t have to be three years in a row).
You are entitled to sell your home once you have purchased under the Right to Buy scheme however, depending on how quickly you sell your home after could mean you owe back the discount which was applied to you.
You will also have a clause whereby the landlord or local association are allowed first refusal of the property, before going to open market.
- Year 1 – Full discount initially applied.
- Year 2 – 80%
- Year 3 – 60%
- Year 4 – 40%
- Year 5 – 20%
Example
Your home was bought at £100,000.
You got 40% discount = £40,000.
You then sold your home within the 2nd year of ownership for £120,000.
Original 40% of £120,000 = £48,000.
£48,000 X 80% = £38,400 owed.
If your home was once owned by the council and was sold during your tenancy to another public sector landlord, you may have the Right to Buy however, this method has a slightly different name – Preserved Right to Buy.
Applications can be made joint, but there is eligibility criteria that need to be met. For example, this will need to be someone who shares the same tenancy status as you or you can have up to three family members who have lived with you for the past 12 months, even if they don’t share your tenancy.