Right to Acquire: buying your housing association home

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Overview

You might be able to buy your rented housing association home at a discount through the Right to Acquire scheme. You and your landlord must meet the eligibility requirements to apply.

You can apply to buy your housing association home if you’ve had a public sector landlord for 3 years. These landlords include:

  • housing associations
  • councils
  • the armed services
  • NHS trusts and foundation trusts

Eligible properties

Your property must either have been:

  • built or bought by a housing association after 31 March 1997 (and funded through a social housing grant provided by the Housing Corporation or local council)
  • transferred from a local council to a housing association after 31 March 1997

Your landlord must be registered with the Regulator of Social Housing.

The home you want to buy must also be:

  • a self-contained property
  • your only or main home

Joint applications

You can make a joint application with:

  • someone who shares your tenancy
  • up to 3 family members who’ve lived with you for the past 12 months (even if they do not share your tenancy)

Who does not qualify

You cannot use Right to Acquire if: