Check the tenancy
In England, most eligible applicants are secure tenants who have had a public sector landlord for at least three years. The years need not be consecutive. The home must be your only or main home and self-contained.
Right to Buy · England
Right to Buy mortgages
Buying the home you rent starts with your landlord’s Right to Buy decision. A mortgage lender then makes a separate decision about the loan. We can help you work through the offer, the costs and the borrowing before you commit.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
The short answer
What is a Right to Buy mortgage?
It is a mortgage used to buy a home under the Right to Buy scheme, not a guarantee of finance. If the landlord accepts your application, it offers the home at a price after any eligible discount. The lender decides whether to lend against that purchase and on what terms. You can have a Right to Buy entitlement without qualifying for a mortgage.
This guide covers the England Right to Buy scheme. Other UK nations have different rules. If you are unsure which purchase right you have, ask your landlord before relying on a discount estimate or seeking a mortgage offer.
Start with the landlord
Who may be able to buy?
Scheme eligibility belongs to the tenant and home; a broker cannot grant it.
Check the people
A joint application may include someone who shares your tenancy or up to three family members who have lived with you for the past 12 months. The landlord checks who can be named on the sale; the lender checks the proposed borrowers separately.
Check the scheme
Some tenants whose council home transferred to a housing association have Preserved Right to Buy. Others may need to ask about Right to Acquire, which has different rules. Not every council or housing association home can be purchased.
See the current Right to Buy eligibility and joint-application overview. Ask your landlord to check your tenancy and the property rather than assuming eligibility from a mortgage illustration.
Discount and deposit
What does the discount actually change?
The discount depends on the property type, market value, location and qualifying tenancy. A regional maximum and the amount the landlord has spent on the home can limit it. The current GOV.UK discount table has regional figures and local exceptions; eligible applications received before 21 November 2024 can follow different maximum limits. An old England-wide or London-wide figure cannot tell you the discount for your case.
Use the landlord’s written offer as the starting point. Check the price and the calculation. If you disagree with the market valuation, the official offer guidance explains how to seek an independent valuation within the relevant time limit.
Some mortgage lenders treat the discount as your deposit; others do not. The lender also assesses the home, loan size and your circumstances. Even without a separate cash deposit, legal work, surveys, tax where due and moving costs may need funding. Read our distinct Right to Buy deposit guide if cash is your main question.
From tenant to buyer
How the purchase and mortgage fit together
Ask the landlord
Confirm the tenancy, home and proposed purchasers. If eligible, complete RTB1 and send it to the landlord. Keep a dated copy.
Read the response
The landlord normally has four weeks to say yes or no, or eight weeks if it has been your landlord for less than three years. A refusal should give reasons.
Study the offer
If the landlord agrees, it issues a written offer. Check the price, discount, property description, known defects and, for a flat, the initial service-charge estimates with a conveyancer.
Test the finance
Tell the adviser the exact offer, intended purchasers and any credit or income issues. A lender still needs to assess affordability, the property and its own criteria; an agreement in principle is not a final offer.
Decide before the deadline
The official guidance gives you 12 weeks after the offer to say whether you still want to buy. Ask about valuation challenges promptly. Your solicitor handles the legal checks and completion.
Plan for ownership
Before completion, budget for mortgage payments, insurance, repairs and leasehold costs where relevant. Check the effect of a future sale or remortgage as well as the cost today.
The landlord’s statutory response stages are not a mortgage-completion promise. See the official application and offer guidance for the current rules.
The whole decision
Can the home stay affordable after completion?
A reduced purchase price does not remove the costs and risks of ownership.
Mortgage and cash costs
Compare the repayment, rate, term, fees and any early repayment charge. Allow for legal and survey costs, buildings insurance and Stamp Duty Land Tax where due. Tax depends on the actual transaction, so check the current rules with your conveyancer.
Leasehold flats
Read the lease and the offer’s first five years of estimated service charges. Ask about planned major works, the building’s condition and what the charges may look like later. Some property features can narrow lender choice.
Changes later
A sale within five years will usually mean repaying some discount, calculated under the scheme’s resale rules. A sale within ten years normally requires an offer to the former or another local social landlord first. A future remortgage, extra borrowing or letting needs its own lender and legal checks.
See the official selling rules and Right to Buy guide. A fixed-rate mortgage ending is not itself a property sale. Ask your solicitor about title restrictions or consent before changing the borrowing.
Google reviews
Live reviews
Read the original Google feedback before you enquire. A review describes an experience; it does not establish Right to Buy eligibility or a future lender decision.
See how clients describe the advice
Right to Buy combines the landlord’s sale, a lender’s assessment and legal work. It helps to know how an adviser explains those separate steps and responds when the answer needs more checking.
We link to the live profile so you can read feedback in context instead of relying on selected quotes.
A more specific question?
Choose the guide for your situation
These existing pages go further into separate decisions without repeating the whole scheme journey.
- Right to Buy with bad creditWhat credit history changes in the lender’s assessment.
- Buying without a cash depositWhen the discount may count and what other cash is needed.
- Family income supportThe difference between a joint purchaser and a non-owner mortgage borrower.
- Right to AcquireA separate route some housing association tenants may need to check.
- After you have boughtConsiderations when replacing or changing the mortgage later.
- Working with an adviserHow an adviser can help compare mortgage options.
Make the first conversation useful
What to have in mind when you enquire
Tell us which landlord owns the home, whether RTB1 has been submitted and whether you have an offer. If you do, share the price, discount, property type and any deadline. Explain who would buy, who would borrow, broad income and commitments, available cash and any credit issues.
We can then explain what still needs checking with the landlord, lender and conveyancer. You do not need to send sensitive documents through a general enquiry form.
Our Terms of Business say there is no broker fee for the initial evaluation. We explain applicable later fees and exceptions before chargeable work. An enquiry does not guarantee eligibility or a mortgage offer.
Common questions
Right to Buy mortgage FAQs
Is Right to Buy eligibility the same as mortgage approval?
No. Your landlord decides whether you can buy the home under Right to Buy and sets out the price and discount. A lender separately checks your income, commitments, credit history, deposit position and the property before deciding whether to offer a mortgage.
How long must I have been a public sector tenant?
The current England overview says at least three years with a public sector landlord. The years do not have to be consecutive. You must also meet the other scheme conditions, including secure tenancy, main-home and self-contained-property requirements. Ask your landlord to confirm your own record.
Can a housing association tenant use Right to Buy?
Some former council tenants may have Preserved Right to Buy after their home transfers to a housing association. Other housing association tenants may instead qualify for Right to Acquire. The schemes and discounts are different, so ask your landlord which, if either, applies.
How much Right to Buy discount could I receive?
It depends on the property, qualifying tenancy, location, current regional maximum and any cost-floor or previous-discount adjustment. Eligible applications received before 21 November 2024 can have different maximum figures. Your landlord’s offer states the calculation; check the current GOV.UK discount table rather than relying on an old national cap.
Can I use the Right to Buy discount instead of a cash deposit?
Possibly. Official Right to Buy guidance says some lenders treat the discount as the deposit and others do not. You may still need cash for legal work, surveys, tax where due and other costs. A lender must assess the particular application and property.
Can I get a mortgage for a Right to Buy flat?
A lender may consider a flat, but the lease, building, valuation and its current criteria matter. Read the landlord’s offer for the first five years of estimated service charges and ask a conveyancer about major works and ongoing obligations before committing.
Can I apply with bad credit or a family member helping?
It may be possible, but neither a discount nor another person’s income removes lender checks. Explain the credit issue and who would own and borrow. A joint Right to Buy purchaser is different from a non-owner supporting mortgage borrower, so the landlord, lender and conveyancer must agree the proposed structure.
What if I sell or remortgage after buying?
A sale within five years will usually require repayment of some or all the discount, based on the resale value and scheme rules. A sale within ten years normally requires offering the home to the former or another local social landlord first. A remortgage is a separate transaction: check mortgage charges, title restrictions and any landlord consent with your lender and solicitor rather than assuming a sale rule applies to it.
Scheme information and official links checked 13 October 2026. This is general information, not personal mortgage, housing or legal advice.
Start with the offer and the people involved
Tell us what your landlord has confirmed, who would own the home and what you need to borrow. We can help you identify the next mortgage checks without assuming acceptance.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.