Right To Buy

Some tenants may be eligible to buy their home at a discounted rate, as part of the government's Right To Buy scheme. If you thinking about buying your Ashfield Council home this is the information you'll need and the steps you should take. 

Right to Buy is a Government scheme that allows secure tenants to buy their home at a discounted price, depending on eligibility.

The Right to Buy is available to:

• secure tenants of councils
• non-charitable Housing Associations
• assured tenants of registered providers, such as Housing Associations.

Who is eligible?

To be able to qualify for the Right to Buy:

• you must be a secure tenant on the date that you make your application
• you must have been a tenant for at least 3 years. This can be from previous addresses as well as your current address
• your property must be your only or principle home.
• anyone sharing the Right to Buy such as a family member or joint tenant must have occupied the property as their only main home for 12 months or more.

You do not qualify for Right To Buy if:

• you have a court possession order against you
• have declared bankruptcy or have a bankruptcy petition pending against you.

Exclusions

Other reasons that you may not qualify for the Right to Buy may include:

• you do not currently have a secure tenancy
• your home is designated as sheltered accommodation
• your home is designated for people over the age of 60
• your home is designed for people who are physically disabled.

Before applying

Buying a home is often the biggest single investment most people will ever make therefore, there is a lot to think about around the costs associated with this. 

Look at all the costs to you. This will include one-off costs such as: 

• surveyor fees
• solicitor fees.

It can also include future costs and responsibilities you may not have as a tenant, such as: 

• repairs and maintenance
• buildings insurance. 

All this is in addition to your current living costs such as bills and food. There is help on the Right To Buy website about comparing costs:

• website: Comparing costs - Right To Buy.

There are other things to take into consideration when you become a homeowner such as:

• you won’t be eligible for housing benefit (or the housing element of Universal Credit) if you become a homeowner
• you may want income protection or life insurance in case anything happens to you while paying back your mortgage. Your home could be at risk if you fail to keep up with your mortgage repayments
• even if you don’t need a mortgage yourself, check whether lenders are willing to give mortgages on the type of house or flat you are buying. This is because, if you want to sell in the future, people interested in buying your property might need a mortgage.

Discount

Following the government’s review of Right to Buy discounts in the Autumn Budget 2024, maximum cash discounts have been reduced to £16,000 - £38,000 with effect from 21 November 2024.

The amount of the maximum discount available from this date depends on where you live as outlined below.

Discounts will continue to range from:

• 35% to 70% for houses
• 50% to 70% for flats

As detailed in the above table, the maximum cash discount for the Ashfield District will be capped.  This means, if your percentage of discount in pounds is higher than the cap, you will not be entitled to anything over £24,000.

Any application requests or applications received from 21 November 2024 will subject to the new discount rules.

In addition to the above, the discount you receive may also be reduced if the amount of money we have spent on your home in the last 10 years (30 years for new build or acquired properties) is more than the purchase price of your home.  This is called a cost floor.  We cannot sell your home for less than the cost floor amount.

Property Value

The value of your home will be determined by the valuation which will be carried out by a qualified an independent Property Adviser.

Freehold or Leasehold

If you are buying a house you will be sold the freehold. This means you will be the outright owner of the property and land it sits on.

If you are buying a flat you will be sold a 125 year lease. This means we will still own the freehold of the land and you will have to pay an annual service charge for repairs and maintenance. This will be billed to you annually.

How to apply

To submit your application we need an appointment with you. Telephone us to make the appointment:

• telephone: 01623 457500.

Download, print, and complete the application forms before your appointment.

You need to complete: 

• website: RTB1 application form - Right to buy - GOV.UK 
• document: Right to buy additional information application form

You must bring your completed forms to the appointment with you along with the one Photo ID listed in section 1 and one other proof listed in section 2 with your application. This will be required for each of the applicants applying.

1. Photo Proof of ID (must be a valid in date passport or drivers licence for each applicant); if these are not available then a birth certificate and marriage licence will be required or Divorce Certificate if appropriate or change of name Deed Poll document.
   
   
2. Utility Bill, Council Tax Bill, Medical Card, Proof of Residency, recent Utility Bills, Bank or Building Society statement, Evidence of National Insurance number – NI Card, Payslip, Letters from Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or HM Revenues and Customs, Proof of Benefits, Pensions – DWP Letters, Proof of earnings or self-employment – Payslips, P60, Bankruptcy Discharge Certificate, Car Registration Document and MOT Certificate and Car Insurance Certificate.

Further information may be required such at your mortgage promise/offer in principal or evidence of funds available. This can be requested at any time during the process. 

We will also carry out Money Laundering checks will be completed as part of the process.

The Right To Buy Charter

To keep the quality of the Right to Buy service high, we have a set of standards that we aim to meet when providing this service.

We will:

• provide you with a named officer with contact details who will be able to assist with an enquiry relating to your application or submitting an application, post any requests for a Right to Buy application packs within 3 working days of the request
• make an appointment to meet with you at our offices for you to formally apply to buy your council home. If you are unable to come to our office due to a disability or exceptional circumstances, we can arrange to visit you at your home
• acknowledge the receipt of your Right to Buy application
• deal with your telephone enquiry immediately as most enquiries can be dealt with over the telephone. If the Right to Buy officer is not available, we will take your telephone number and phone you back within 2 working days
• respond to written enquiries within 5 working days of receiving the letter. Sometimes this may not be possible if we have to obtain information or advice from another party. In such circumstances, we will acknowledge your query within 5 working days and respond in full as soon as possible
• advise you within 4 weeks of receiving the completed Right to Buy application form whether you can have the right to buy your home. This may take up to 8 weeks however, if you have been a tenant with another social landlord and you are relying on former tenancies to make up your qualifying period
• tell you the price of your home within 8 weeks of the date of your RTB2 notice for houses and, within 12 weeks of the date of your RTB2 notice for flats/maisonettes.
• instruct our legal team within 10 working days if you wish to proceed with the Right to Buy
• cancel your Right to Buy within 5 working days. This is upon receipt of your written confirmation to us stating that you no longer wish to proceed with the Right to Buy.

Ways to contact us about Right To Buy

If you need to contact us about Right To Buy you can do so by: 

• email: righttobuy@ashfield.gov.uk
• telephone: 01623 457500. 

We welcome your ideas about how we can improve the process as well as any questions you may have when considering using your Right to Buy.