Right to Buy schemes

What is the Right to Acquire scheme?

Housing association tenants may be able to buy their rented housing association home at a discount through the Right to Acquire scheme. The discount available ranges between £9,000 and £16,000 and will depend on where you live.

Am I eligible?

To apply to buy your home through the scheme, you must meet the following criteria:

• Your current home was built or bought by a housing association after 31 March 1997 and is not about to be demolished
• It was funded through a social housing grant provided by the Housing Corporation or local council
• You’ve had a public sector landlord for at least three years. Public sector landlords include: housing associations, councils, the armed services, NHS trusts and foundation trusts
• You don’t live in sheltered or other housing suitable for elderly or disabled people
• You don’t have any legal problems with debt; and
• You don’t have any outstanding possession orders.

You can find out more about the Government’s Right to Acquire webpage or speak to one of the Government’s official Right to Buy agents on 0300 123 0913.

How to apply

If meet the above criteria and you’d like to apply for the Right to Acquire (RTA) scheme, you may download and complete an application form along with RTA insolvency declaration.

Email your completed application form and declaration to: HomeOwnership.Services@orbit.org.uk.

Alternatively, you can post the form to:
Orbit Homeownership Services,
PO Box 6406,
Coventry,
CV3 9NB.

If you want to check your eligibility before you apply, contact us.

What happens when you receive my Right to Buy or Right to Acquire application?

When we receive your application, the Right to Buy or Right to Acquire process will start.  Here is a summary of the process and the timescales that both parties need to meet:

• Application stage - Once we receive your application, we must respond to you within four weeks or eight weeks if you have a previous tenancy with a different landlord.
• Sales offer to be issued - We have 8 to 12 weeks to gather all the information needed to go into your sales offer. This will detail the property value, discount entitlement and any future costs that you may be responsible for.
• Sales offer response - You have 12 weeks to let us know if you want to go ahead and let us know who your solicitor will be. During this time, you should read the sales offer in detail and seek independent financial advice.
• Receipt of the sales offer response - If the offer is accepted, we’ll order the conveyancing plans. As soon as we have the plans, we’ll instruct our solicitors. You’ll then have three months to arrange your mortgage and complete the purchase.

Your repair and maintenance responsibilities will change after you submit your application

We’ll only carry out essential maintenance to your home after you submit your application. Once you become the homeowner, you’ll be fully responsible for all repairs and maintenance, other than communal and external repairs if you live in a flat – and you’ll continue paying a contribution for these maintenance costs.

If you’re accepted for the Right to Buy or Right to Acquire scheme, we’ll need you to confirm how you'll be funding the purchase, in line with anti-money laundering laws. If you’re using savings to purchase your home, we’ll need to see evidence of where this money came from.

Your purchase may be delayed if you don’t provide information when requested or respond satisfactorily to any questions we ask you.

In some cases, we may also use an identity verification agency to confirm your identity.

Can I afford to buy my home?

We strongly advise you to seek independent financial advice before applying to buy your home. This advice will help you understand what your future costs are likely to be if your application is successful.

Once you buy your home, you're responsible for paying the mortgage as well as maintenance and repair costs.

Can my family and friends share the right to buy or acquire?

At least one tenant must want to buy the home. Family members (occupants) are not able to buy it on the tenant’s behalf.

All applicants must have a legal interest in the property, as they’ll be included in the mortgage and legal documents.

What type of fees may I pay during the process?

Before you decide to buy your home, you may want to have a full structural survey carried out on the property. This is a thorough examination that should highlight any issues that could present a problem in the future. You will need to pay for this survey.

You will also be expected to pay for your own solicitor's fees and any charges your mortgage provider gives you. For example, the arrangement fee.

What if I've made improvements to my home?

Any improvement that you want to be taken into consideration must have been previously approved by us.

These improvements must have been paid for by you and we’ll need to see proof of this.

Not all improvements are considered to add value to the home. For example, redecoration or general maintenance.

What happens if I decide to sell within 10 years of buying my home?

If you sell your home within the first five years, you’ll need to pay a percentage of the discount you were originally given. Please contact our customer service hub for advice on what that will be.

If you sell within the first ten years, we must get first refusal to buy it back at the current market value. 'First refusal’ means we have the right to decide whether or not we buy your home back before it can be sold to any other third party.