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COUNCIL RIGHT TO BUY: Your Right to Buy your home
Who has the Right to Buy?
You probably have the Right to Buy if you are a secure tenant of a ‘Right to Buy landlord’. The word ‘landlord’ is used in this booklet to cover all these different bodies.
If your secure tenancy was in existence before 18 January 2005, or you were a public sector tenant before 18 January 2005 (and you have been a public sector tenant continuously since that time), you do not have the Right to Buy until you have spent at least 2 years as a public sector tenant. A public sector tenant is a tenant whose landlord is either a ‘Right to Buy landlord’; or one of the public bodies listed under ‘Other public bodies’.
For anyone else, you do not have the Right to Buy until you have spent at least 5 years as a public sector tenant.
You will only be able to purchase under the scheme if your house or flat is your only home and is self-contained.
You cannot buy your home if a court makes a possession order which says that you must leave your home. Neither can you buy your home if you are an undischarged bankrupt, have a bankruptcy petition pending against you, or have made an arrangement with creditors (people you owe money to) and you still owe them money.
You may be able to exercise the Right to Buy jointly with members of your family who have lived with you for the past 12 months, or with someone who is a joint tenant with you.
Any land let together with your home (for example, gardens and garages) will usually be treated as part of your home.
There are exceptions to the Right to Buy
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© Crown Copyright (Correct at time of writing January 2005. Please check with your financial services provider for any changes.)
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