Govt plans to change right-to-buy policy

Fewer social housing tenants could be able to buy their homes, under government plans to tackle the housing crisis by shaking up the right-to-buy policy.

What is right to buy?

Right to buy lets most council tenants buy their homes at a discount.

 You can do this in England if:

• you live in your only home
• your home is self-contained
• you’re a secure tenant, usually after living there for 12 months
• your local council, housing association, or NHS trust have been your landlord for at least three years (not necessarily all in a row)

If you’ve rented for up to five years, you can get a 35% discount on your house price (50% if it's a flat).

For every year after that, your discount increases, up to a maximum of 70%. Currently, that’s £102,400 off in England and £136,400 in London.

Different rules apply in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Proposed changes and how they could affect you

Since right to buy was introduced in 1980, the number of social homes has dropped by 1.4 million.

According to homelessness charity Shelter, only 4% of homes sold under the policy have been replaced.

Angela Rayner, housing secretary, is aiming for the biggest increase in council housing for decades.

Under the proposals:

• newly built social homes would not be available to buy
• the current three-year wait time before you can buy your home could go up to five or 10 or more years
• discounts for buying a home could go back to what they were before 2012
• there could be longer repayment terms if you sell your home

Criticism and support

Some people support the changes, but others, like shadow housing secretary Kevin Hollinrake, think they limit chances for home ownership.

He argues right to buy has helped many families, saying it has “given something back to families who worked hard, paid their rent, and played by the rules”.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, says it’s “vital” that more money is invested in social housing along with these reforms.