Right to Buy (preserved right to buy)

You could be eligible for the right to buy if you were a secure tenant of a local authority and you became an assured tenant when your home transferred to us (and you were still living in the property)

*Most of our tenants do not have the ‘preserved’ right to buy because under normal circumstances it doesn’t extend to housing association tenants.

Please note, Right to Acquire is still subject to certain conditions such as not being made bankrupt or having a court order to leave your home.

The process

Here’s a quick overview of the steps in the right to buy process:

Key information

We’ve got lots of useful information and FAQs on our website that cover things like:

  • Preserved Right to Buy (PRTB)
  • Freehold queries
  • Estate charges
  • Extending a lease
  • Buildings and Contents Insurance
  • Administration Fees

Next steps

If you want to go ahead with purchasing your home, there are a few things to remember:

  • You’ll need to allow the Valuer access to your property within their working hours.
  • If you decide to go ahead once you’ve had the valuation and you have received the sales offer price, you’ll need to provide the following information within 12 weeks of that offer :-

a) We’ll need to know how you’re funding it, for example if you require a mortgage you’ll need to engage a financial advisor or mortgage broker, or go directly to your mortgage lender, and we’ll need to see a copy of the mortgage offer or proof of funds if you are not obtaining a mortgage.

b) You’ll need to instruct a solicitor. It can be a good idea to get a few quotes before deciding on one as some can charge a fixed rate and others by the hour.

  • If you have arrears on your account, you’ll need to pay these on completion. If you decide not to proceed with the purchase, we’d be really grateful if you could let us know.

Our role

We’ll be there to offer you advice and talk you through the process while you’re still deciding whether this is the best step for you.

If you confirm that you want to proceed and the sale has been approved your solicitor is the best person to contact for updates if you have questions.

However, if you do have any queries throughout the process that you think we’re best placed to answer, we’ll do our best to resolve them. Please note that we aren’t legally trained and some queries will need to be answered by your solicitor.

We’ll get back in touch with you if your valuation expires (this is valid for 12 months from the date the report is written), so all being well you should complete within this time.

Following completion, if you have a credit on your account we’ll refund you within 14 days of receiving your bank details.

Meet the team

If have any queries during the purchase, please contact the Resales Officer and Right to Buy/Right to Acquire.

If you have queries in future or want to enquire about other aspects of your home or the services you pay for, our Housing Advice Team are here to help. You can contact them on 0345 60 20 540.