Can I buy the home I rent?

Updated: 7 November 2024

Right to Buy (RTB)

You might be able to buy your home if:

• You have a secure tenancy given to you by St Helens Council before 1 July 2002
• You have a secure tenancy given to you by Warrington Borough Council before 29 July 2010
• You became a tenant with Liverpool Mutual Homes prior to their stock transfer in April 2008, i.e. your tenancy started with Liverpool City Council

And:

• You don’t live in sheltered housing or housing specifically for elderly or disabled people
• You don’t have or have cleared any arrears and there is no possession notice in force
• The discount depends on how long you have held your tenancy with your local authority for.

The Government Right to Buy calculator will give you an idea. 

Right to Acquire (RTA)

You might be able to buy if:

• You have a tenancy given to you by Torus (formerly Helena Homes) after 1 July 2002
• You have a tenancy given to you by Torus (formerly GGHT) after 29 November 2010
• You have a tenancy given to you by Torus (formerly Liverpool Mutual Homes) after stock transfer.

And:

• You don’t live in sheltered housing or housing specifically for elderly or disabled people
• You don’t have or have cleared any arrears and there is no possession notice in force
• You will need to have held a tenancy of any social landlord for a minimum of three years.

The discount is between £9,000 and £16,000 off the value of your property. The amount of discount you’ll get depends on where you live, please contact us to find out more.

Certain types of homes may not be eligible for the Right to Buy / Acquire schemes, these include:

• Temporary accommodation
• Specialist housing for older people, or people with a physical or mental disability
• Where your home is provided as part of your employment

Right to Shared Ownership (RtSO)

The Right to Shared Ownership scheme allows some tenants in England to buy a share of their rented home on shared ownership terms.

This means you:

• Buy a share of your home as a leaseholder
• Pay rent on the rest
• Usually pay monthly service charges, for example towards the maintenance of communal areas

You can apply to buy a share of your home if:

• It’s eligible for the Right to Shared Ownership scheme - you can check this with us
• It’s your only or main home and you’ve lived there for at least 1 year
• You’ve been a tenant of social or affordable housing for at least 3 years - check with us or your previous landlord if you’re not sure

You can buy a share of between 10% and 75% of your home’s full market value.  You can either:

• Take out a mortgage to buy your share - you’ll also need to pay a deposit, usually between 5% and 10% of the share you’re buying
• Pay for it with savings