How shared ownership works

You can buy a home through the shared ownership scheme if you cannot afford all of the deposit and mortgage payments for a home that meets your needs.

You buy a share of the property and pay rent to a landlord on the rest.

There are different rules on:

When you buy a home through shared ownership, you:

There’s a different way to buy a share of a home that you already rent - through Right to Shared Ownership.

Buying your share

The share you can buy is usually between 25% and 75%. You can buy a 10% share on some homes.

You can take out a mortgage to buy your share or pay for it with savings. You’ll also need to pay a deposit, usually between 5% and 10% of the share you’re buying.

You can buy more shares in your home in the future. This is known as ‘staircasing’. If you buy more shares, you’ll pay less rent. The amount of rent you pay will be based on the landlord’s share.

Homes you can buy through shared ownership

You can buy:

  • a new-build home
  • an existing home through a shared ownership resale scheme
  • a home that meets your specific needs, if you have a long-term disability - for example, a ground floor flat

Shared ownership homes are offered by housing associations, local councils, and other organisations. They are called ‘providers’ or the landlord.

All shared ownership homes (houses and flats) are leasehold properties.

Other help to buy a home

You may be eligible for support to buy a home through other affordable home ownership schemes.