Can I buy my council home?

For council tenants in England who want to buy their home.

Applies to: England Last checked against official sources: 6 October 2026

In England, most council tenants can buy their home at a discount through Right to Buy. You can apply if:

it's your only or main home and self-contained
you're a secure tenant
you've had a public sector landlord for 3 years (not necessarily in a row)

You can apply jointly with up to 3 family members who've lived with you for 12 months.

Different in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Scotland: Right to Buy was abolished for all council and housing association tenants from 1 August 2016.
Wales: Right to Buy has been abolished by the Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Act 2018.
Northern Ireland has different rules.

Different in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

Rules may be different in:

Scotland: Check mygov.scot for Scotland
Wales: Check gov.wales for Wales
Northern Ireland: Check nidirect for Northern Ireland

Key facts

England only
At a discount
3 years as a public tenant

What Right to Buy is

Right to Buy lets most council tenants in England buy their home for less than its market value. The reduction is called a discount. If the council transferred your home to another landlord, such as a housing association, while you lived there, you may still be able to buy it. This is called the Preserved Right to Buy. Ask your landlord if it applies to you.

Who it is for

You need a secure tenancy, and the home must be your only or main home and self-contained. You need to have been a public sector tenant for 3 years in total. The years do not need to be in a row, and can include time renting from a council, housing association or NHS trust.

You can buy with a joint tenant, or with up to 3 family members who have lived with you for the past 12 months.

How much discount you can get

For applications made after 21 November 2024, the most you can get depends on where you live.

Region	Maximum discount
North East	£22,000
North West	£26,000
Yorkshire and the Humber	£24,000
East Midlands	£24,000
West Midlands	£26,000
Eastern	£34,000 (£16,000 in Watford)
South East	£38,000 (£16,000 in some areas)
South West	£30,000
London	£16,000 (£38,000 in Barking and Dagenham, and Havering)

Within that limit:

Houses: 35% off if you have been a public sector tenant for 3 to 5 years, plus 1% for each extra year.
Flats: 50% off for 3 to 5 years, plus 2% for each extra year.
The discount can never be more than 70% of the home's value.
It is lower if your landlord has spent money building or maintaining your home in the last 30 years.

Example: you have rented a council house in the North East for 4 years. It is valued at £150,000. 35% would be £52,500, but the cap is £22,000. So you would pay £128,000 (before any reduction for your landlord's spending).

How to apply

Fill in the Right to Buy application form (RTB1 notice) and send it to your landlord.
Your landlord must say yes or no within 4 weeks (8 weeks if they have been your landlord for less than 3 years). If they say no, they must say why.
If they say yes, they send you an offer within 8 weeks for a freehold home, or 12 weeks for a leasehold home such as a flat.

Things to know before you buy

If you sell within 5 years, you pay back some of the discount, based on the home's value when you sell:

When you sell	Discount to repay
Within year 1	All of it
Year 2	80%
Year 3	60%
Year 4	40%
Year 5	20%

GOV.UK's example: a home bought for £100,000 with a 40% discount, sold after 18 months for £120,000, means repaying £38,400.

If you sell within 10 years, you must first offer the home to your old landlord or another social landlord in the area. They have 8 weeks to reply.

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

Scotland: Right to Buy ended on 1 August 2016.
Wales: it has been abolished by the Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Act 2018.
Northern Ireland: different rules apply.

Related guides

Where this comes from

Get it done

This takes you to the official service, which is free to use.

How to apply

Common questions

What is the maximum Right to Buy discount?

It depends on your region, from £16,000 in most of London to £38,000 in the South East. The discount can never be more than 70% of your home's value.

How is the Right to Buy discount worked out?

For a house you get 35% off after 3 to 5 years as a public sector tenant, plus 1% for each extra year. For a flat you get 50% off, plus 2% for each extra year.

Do I have to pay back the discount if I sell?

If you sell within 5 years you pay back some of it, from all of it in the first year down to 20% in year 5. Within 10 years you must first offer the home to your old landlord or another social landlord.

Can I buy my home if the council sold it to a housing association?

You may still be able to, if the council sold it to another landlord while you lived there. This is called the Preserved Right to Buy.

Official sources

1.Right to Buy: buying your council homewww.gov.uk/right-to-buy-buying-your-council-home
2.Housing (Scotland) Act 2014, section 1 (legislation.gov.uk)www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2014/14/section/1
3.Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Act 2018www.legislation.gov.uk/anaw/2018/1/contents
4.Right to Buy: discountswww.gov.uk/right-to-buy-buying-your-council-home/discounts
5.Right to Buy: selling your homewww.gov.uk/right-to-buy-buying-your-council-home/selling-your-home

Checked against GOV.UK on 6 October 2026

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