Right to Buy: buying your council home
Discounts
You can get a discount on the market value of your home when you buy it if you qualify for Right to Buy.
The discount is based on:
- the type of property you’re buying - a flat or house
- the value of your home
- where you live
- how long you’ve been a tenant with a public sector landlord
You’ll usually have to repay some or all your discount if you sell your home within 5 years.
You might get a smaller discount if you’ve used Right to Buy in the past.
Working out the discount
There are different discount levels for houses and flats.
If you’re buying with someone else, you count the years of whoever’s been a public sector tenant the longest.
Houses
You get a 35% discount if you’ve been a public sector tenant for between 3 and 5 years.
After 5 years, the discount goes up 1% for every extra year you’ve been a public sector tenant up to the maximum discount amount.
Flats
You get a 50% discount if you’ve been a public sector tenant for between 3 and 5 years.
After 5 years, the discount goes up 2% for every extra year you’ve been a public sector tenant, up to the maximum discount amount.
Maximum discount
The maximum discount you can get is whichever is lower:
- 70% of the value of your property
- the maximum discount for your region
| Region | Maximum discount | Exceptions |
|---|---|---|
| North East | £22,000 | Not applicable |
| North West | £26,000 | Not applicable |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £24,000 | Not applicable |
| East Midlands | £24,000 | Not applicable |
| West Midlands | £26,000 | Not applicable |
| Eastern | £34,000 | £16,000 in the district of Watford |
| South East | £38,000 | £16,000 in the areas of Reading Borough and West Berkshire, Hart District, Oxford and Vale of the White Horse District, the boroughs of Tonbridge and Malling, Epsom and Ewell, and Reigate and Banstead |
| South West | £30,000 | Not applicable |
| London | £16,000 | £38,000 in the boroughs of Barking and Dagenham and Havering |
If you applied to buy your home before 21 November 2024
The maximum discount you can get is whichever of the following is lower:
- 70% of the value of your property
- £136,400 if your home is in a London borough
- £102,400 if your home is outside London
If your landlord has spent money on your home
Your discount will be less if your landlord has spent money building or maintaining your home:
- in the last 10 years - if your landlord built or acquired your home before 2 April 2012
- in the last 15 years - if you’re buying your home through Preserved Right to Buy, or if your landlord acquired your home after 2 April 2012
You will not get any discount if your landlord has spent more money than your home is now worth.