Check if Right to Buy rules apply

If you bought your property through the Right to Buy scheme, you need to check if the resale rules apply before you sell. These rules depend on when you bought your home and how long you have owned it.

Follow the steps below to find out what applies to you and what action you need to take.

If you did not buy your property through Right to Buy, you can skip this section.

Check if you must offer your property back to us

You must offer your property back to us if: 

• you bought through the Right to Buy scheme on or after 18 January 2005, and 
• you want to sell within 10 years of buying it 

This is part of the Right to Buy resale process. It gives us the opportunity to buy the property before it is sold on the open market.  

If these rules apply, you must submit a resale request. This formally offers your property back to us and starts the process for a letter of compliance.

You cannot complete the sale without a letter of compliance. 

The new owner will need the letter of compliance to register the property with the Land Registry.

How to submit a Right to Buy resale request

Use our online form to submit a resale request.

You will need: 

• the names and contact details of the leaseholders 
• property details (for example, the number of bedrooms, heating type and any improvements) 

Submit a Right to Buy resale request

We aim to decide whether to buy your property within 8 weeks and issue a letter of compliance at the same time. This is the statutory timeframe.

The decision depends on factors such as the type and location of the property, and available funding at the time. 

Fees

The fee for the letter of compliance is £300. 

Please note: 

• we will contact you or your solicitor or you to arrange payment 
• if you withdraw your application, £150 is non‑refundable 
• if we buy the property, the fee will be deducted from the sale proceeds 

Check if you need to repay your Right to Buy discount 

If you sell your property within 3 to 5 years of buying it through Right to Buy, you must repay some or all of your discount.

The amount depends on how long you have owned the property.  

After you submit your resale request, we will contact you if you need to repay any discount. We will explain what you owe and your repayment options.

Find out more on GOV.UK's Right to Buy: Selling your home.