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The right to buy or acquire your home
This information applies to England.
If you live in England and rent your home from your local council or housing association, you might be eligible to buy it. There are schemes to help you do this:
- the Right to Buy scheme if you rent from your local authority
- the Right to Acquire scheme if you rent from a housing association
Wales and Scotland do not have Right to Buy or Right to Acquire schemes.
There is no scheme to buy the home you rent from a private landlord. But you can ask them if they want to sell it to you.
Buying from a private landlord
Skip to
- Right to Buy
- Right to Acquire
- The right to buy or acquire adapted homes
- Buying from a private landlord
- If your landlord wants to sell
- Deciding whether to buy the home you rent
- Getting a mortgage
- Using a solicitor
- Find a solicitor
- Changes to your benefits
- Find a local benefits adviser
- Get support to buy or acquire your home
- Discrimination
Right to Buy
The Right to Buy scheme allows you to buy the home you rent from your local council at a discount.
You can apply to buy your council home if:
- it is your only or main home
- it is self-contained – this means you do not share any living space, such as a living room or bathroom, with other homes
- you have lived in any council or housing association home for 3 years – it does not have to be 3 years in a row or your current home
- you are a ‘secure tenant’ – this means you have a lifelong tenancy with the council – check your tenancy agreement
Secure council tenancies (Shelter)
Right to Buy discount
The discount is based on:
- the type of property you are buying (flat or house)
- the value of your home
- where you live
- how long you have been a tenant
The maximum discount you can get is between £16,000 and £38,000, depending on where you live.
Find out more about what kind of discount you might be eligible for from GOV.UK.
Warning If you sell your home within 5 years
Usually, you must pay back some or all your discount if you sell the home within 5 years.
Getting an offer from the council
If the council is willing to sell you the home, they will send you a letter that says:
- how much they think the home is worth
- how much discount you can get
This is called 'getting an offer from the council’.
If you think the home is not worth as much as they say, you can disagree. You must write to them within 3 months of getting the offer and ask them for an independent valuation.
Right to Acquire
The Right to Acquire scheme allows you to buy the home you rent from a housing association at a discount.
You can apply to buy your housing association home if:
- it is your only or main home
- it is self-contained – this means you do not share any living space, such as a living room or bathroom, with other homes
- you have lived in a council or housing association home for 3 years – it does not have to be 3 years in a row or your current home
- the home was built or bought by a housing association after 31 March 1997
Right to Acquire discount
You can get a discount of between £9,000 and £16,000 on the price of your home. The amount you can get depends on where you live. GOV.UK has a list of all the discounts available by local council area.
Warning Preserved Right to Buy
You could have the Preserved Right to Buy if you were a council tenant when your home transferred to a housing association.
For example, the council sold your home to a housing association while you were living in it.
Preserved Right to Buy might give you a larger discount than Right to Acquire.
Preserved right to buy when council homes are transferred (Shelter)
Getting an offer from the housing association
If the housing association is willing to sell you the home, they will send you a letter that says:
- how much they think the home is worth
- how much discount you can get
This is called 'getting an offer’ from the housing association.
If you think the home is not worth as much as they say, you can disagree. You must write to them within 3 months of getting the offer and ask them for an independent valuation.
Go to GOV.UK for more information on:
- how to apply
- working out the discount
- appealing a decision
Right to Acquire: Buying your housing association home (GOV.UK)
The right to buy or acquire adapted homes
Councils and housing associations might refuse to sell an adapted home. This is so they can maintain their stock of accessible housing.
The council can refuse your application if the home:
- has features that are substantially different from other homes
- is designed for people who are physically disabled
- is part of group accommodation for people who are physically disabled
- is near to a social service or special facility
You may be able to appeal. Ask your council or housing association about an appeal process. This can take a long time.
Get support if you want to appeal.
Buying from a private landlord
There is no right to buy scheme if you rent from a private landlord. But you can still ask if they want to sell it to you.
You can ask for support from someone you trust when you speak to your landlord, for example a:
- friend
- family member
- carer
- personal assistant
Before you speak to them, find out what you can afford as a deposit and monthly mortgage payments.
Warning Do not pay more than the home is worth
There are ways to find a fair price for the home. Prices for homes go up and down depending on the market.
Use the Land Registry House Price Index tool to check how much people paid for other homes in your area.
You can also get advice from an estate agent.
If your landlord wants to sell
If your landlord decides to sell while you are a tenant, they must give you the option of buying your home first. If you cannot afford to buy it, they do not have to sell it to you.
Deciding whether to buy the home you rent
Owning a home can help you feel more secure than when you rent. You cannot be evicted by a landlord. But you could lose your home if you do not pay monthly mortgage repayments.
Owning your home can give you freedom to make changes to your home without asking for permission from a landlord.
It can be helpful to buy the home you already rent if it meets your needs. You might save money compared to buying another property if you do not need to pay for:
- removal services
- estate agents
- new furniture and equipment
Affording to buy the home you rent
Get advice before you decide to buy your home to make sure you can afford it. Most people will have to pay for:
- monthly mortgage repayments
- a deposit
- repairs to the home
- fixing or replacing appliances like boilers, ovens and fridges
- insurance
Getting a mortgage
If you need a mortgage, you will need to get a Mortgage Agreement in Principle before you buy a home. This is to check that you will be able to pay a deposit and monthly mortgage repayments.
It is a good idea to contact an independent mortgage adviser or broker. They will help you search the market to find a mortgage that:
- you can afford
- suits your needs
Find an independent mortgage adviser from:
Most mortgage advisers give advice for free. They charge a fee if you choose to take a mortgage they have found for you. Most mortgage advisers offer phone and video call appointments.
Mortgage advice: should you use a mortgage adviser? (MoneyHelper)
Paying a deposit
You might not have to pay a deposit when you buy from a council or housing association. Ask your council or housing association if you will need to pay a deposit.
If you do have to pay a deposit, it is usually less than you would pay if you were buying from a private seller. Get advice on deposits from an independent mortgage adviser.
If you have a Help to Buy ISA or Lifetime ISA (LISA), you can use it to pay a deposit for a home through these schemes:
- Right to Buy
- Right to Acquire
- Right to Shared Ownership
- Rent to Buy
Using a solicitor
You do not have to use a solicitor if you are buying a home through Right to Buy or Right to Acquire. But they can help you to understand the legal process.
Find a solicitor
The Law Society website has a tool where you can search for different types of legal help near you.
You can also refine the results based on whether they:
- have induction loops
- provide British Sign Language interpreters
- have step-free access
- accept Legal Aid
Changes to your benefits
If you buy your home, you cannot get:
- Housing Benefit
- Universal Credit housing element
These benefits are only available to help you pay rent. If you were getting these benefits before, they will stop if you buy a home.
If you get a mortgage, you can apply for a loan to help you pay the interest. This is called Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI). To be eligible you must receive:
- Universal Credit
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Pension Credit
Get support to buy or acquire your home
Get free support from Right to Buy Agent Service with:
- Right to Buy
- Right to Acquire
- Right to Shared Ownership
Contact them by:
- email at enquiry@righttobuyagent.org.uk
- phone on 0300 123 0913
Get help from a housing advocate
A housing advocate can support you to communicate with your council, housing association or landlord.
Advocates are:
- free to use
- trained professionals or volunteers
- independent of councils and housing associations
Discrimination
If you think you are being discriminated against for being disabled or receiving benefits, you can get support.
Last reviewed by Scope on: 15/09/2025
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