What is shared ownership and how does it work?

For people in England who want to buy a home but cannot afford the full deposit and mortgage.

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

Shared ownership lets you buy a share of a home and pay rent to a landlord on the rest.

You usually buy between 25% and 75% of the home, or 10% on some homes.
Your household income must be £80,000 a year or less, or £90,000 or less in London.
You must not be able to afford all of the deposit and mortgage for a home that meets your needs.
You can buy more shares later (staircasing), and your rent goes down.
All shared ownership homes are leasehold.

Different in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

These rules are for England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different schemes.

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

Buy 25% to 75% (10% on some homes)
Income limit £80,000 (£90,000 London)
Pay rent on the rest
All homes are leasehold

How shared ownership works

You buy part of a home and a landlord owns the rest. You pay a mortgage on your part and rent on the landlord's part.

You also pay monthly ground rent and service charges, for example towards looking after shared areas. Every shared ownership home is leasehold. That means you own the right to live there for a set number of years, under the terms of a lease.

Who can apply

You need both of these:

a household income of £80,000 a year or less (£90,000 or less in London)
you cannot afford all of the deposit and mortgage payments for a home that meets your needs

You must also be one of these:

a first-time buyer
someone who used to own a home but cannot afford to buy one now
forming a new household, for example after a relationship ends
an existing shared owner who wants to move
a homeowner who cannot afford a home that meets your needs

Some homes also ask you to live or work in the area, or have another link to it. If several people want the same home, serving members of the armed forces and some veterans get priority.

Special versions of the scheme

Scheme	Who it is for	What is different
Older Persons Shared Ownership	People aged 55 or over when they buy	Buy up to 75%. Once you own 75%, you pay no rent on the rest
HOLD	People with a long-term disability	For when other homes do not meet your needs

What you pay

Cost	What it is
Deposit	Usually 5% to 10% of the share you buy
Mortgage	On the share you own
Rent	On the share the landlord owns
Ground rent and service charges	Monthly, for upkeep of shared areas

Example: a home is worth £200,000 and you buy a 25% share. Your share costs £50,000. A deposit of 5% to 10% of that share is £2,500 to £5,000. You get a mortgage for the rest of your share, and pay rent on the 75% the landlord still owns.

How to apply

Check you meet the rules above.
Contact the organisations that sell shared ownership homes in your area. They check you are eligible and send you details of homes for sale.
Reserve a home. The reservation fee is up to £500. It comes off what you pay on the day you buy, but you usually will not get it back if you pull out.
Get a solicitor or licensed conveyancer. They explain the lease and check your mortgage terms.

Buying more shares and selling

Buying more of your home later is called staircasing. The bigger your share, the less rent you pay.

If you want to sell, tell your landlord first. They get a "nomination period" of 4, 8 or 12 weeks, depending on your lease, to find a buyer. If they do not find one, you can sell on the open market. The price is set by a surveyor registered with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). You pay for the valuation.

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

This guide covers England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own schemes and rules.

Related guides

Where this comes from

Get it done

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

Apply for shared ownership

Common questions

What is the income limit for shared ownership?

Your household income must be £80,000 a year or less, or £90,000 or less in London.

Can I buy the rest of my shared ownership home?

Yes. Buying more shares is called staircasing, and the more you own, the less rent you pay.

How do I sell a shared ownership home?

You tell your landlord first. They get 4, 8 or 12 weeks (depending on your lease) to find a buyer before you can sell on the open market.

Official sources

1.Shared ownership homeswww.gov.uk/shared-ownership-scheme
2.Shared ownership: who can applywww.gov.uk/shared-ownership-scheme/who-can-apply
3.Shared ownership: selling your homewww.gov.uk/shared-ownership-scheme/selling-your-home
4.Shared ownership: how to applywww.gov.uk/shared-ownership-scheme/apply

Checked against GOV.UK on 6 October 2026

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