Right to buy
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Right to Buy
About the Right to Buy
The Right to Buy is a government scheme that enables secure tenants of the council to buy their home at discount.
To be eligible, a tenant must have held a public sector tenancy for at least five years. You are not eligible if you are bankrupt, or if you are subject to a possession order. There are some exceptions to the Right to Buy - for instance it does not apply if you live in sheltered housing.
For further details, please view or download our 'Your Right to buy your council home - information for secure tenants' document [PDF 82kb].
Buying your home is probably the biggest financial decision you will ever make – please take time to consider whether it is the right choice for you.
For example, if you exercise the Right to Buy you will be responsible for the costs of maintaining your home, including major works, routine repairs and any improvements.
If you are buying a flat or maisonette, you will become a leaseholder and will be responsible for paying service charges. In basic terms, the service charge is a leaseholder’s lease share of the costs incurred by the council in keeping the building in repair, providing services and managing the building. Further information is available on our council leaseholder page.
Before borrowing money to buy your home, take time to consider all the costs involved and the choices available. Seek out the best independent information or advice you can get before agreeing to any offer or deal. Some banks and building societies don’t like giving mortgages on flats in high rise blocks, or for properties of non-traditional construction.
Applying
Download the Right to Buy application forms here. All three forms should be completed and signed for your application to be processed. The forms should then be returned to:
Leasehold Team
Brighton & Hove Housing Centre
Unit 1, Fairway Trading Estate
Eastergate Road
Brighton
BN2 4QE
| Right to Buy application forms |
|---|
| RTB1_Main_Application_Form [PDF 490kb] |
| RTB1_Bankruptcy_Form [PDF 34kb] |
| RTB1_Boundary_Form [PDF 25kb] |
If you would like to discuss the Right to Buy, or would like to be sent an information pack by post (which includes the necessary application forms), please contact a Right to Buy & Leasehold Officer on (01273) 293074, or email rtbleasehold@brighton-hove.gov.uk.