Buying your council home through Right to Buy? Enter the property's value, whether it's a house or flat and your qualifying years as a tenant to estimate your discount — up to the cash cap — and the price you'd pay.
Discount % + cash cap
Right to Buy lets eligible secure council tenants in England and Northern Ireland buy their home at a discount. (The scheme was abolished in Scotland in 2016 and Wales in 2019.) The discount depends on how long you have been a public-sector tenant and whether your home is a house or a flat — but it is always capped at a regional cash maximum.
| Property type | Starting discount | Yearly increase |
|---|---|---|
| House | 35% at 3 years | +1% per extra year (max 70%) |
| Flat / maisonette | 50% at 3 years | +2% per extra year (max 70%) |
If you sell within five years of buying, you must repay some or all of the discount on a sliding scale (100% in year one, falling each year). You will also need a mortgage and should budget for legal fees and surveys. Check what you could borrow with the mortgage affordability calculator, your monthly cost with the mortgage calculator, and conveyancing with the conveyancing cost calculator. First-time buyers may also pay reduced stamp duty.
Houses start at 35% after 3 years, +1%/year to a 70% maximum; flats start at 50%, +2%/year, also to 70%. The discount is capped at a cash maximum — £16,000 in England (from Nov 2024) and £24,000 in Northern Ireland.
Yes, if you sell within five years: you repay 100% of the discount in year one, then 80%, 60%, 40% and 20%. After five years you keep the full discount.
You generally need at least 3 qualifying years as a public-sector tenant (not necessarily consecutive). Longer tenancies raise your discount percentage up to the 70% cap.
No — Right to Buy operates in England and Northern Ireland only. It was abolished in Scotland (2016) and Wales (2019).
