Right to Buy in 2026: Eligibility, Discounts and the Changes on the Way

Right to Buy still lets qualifying council tenants in England buy their home at a discount, but the scheme has changed sharply since late 2024 and more change is confirmed and on the way. Discounts that once reached six figures are now capped between £16,000 and £38,000 depending on region, and the government confirmed in April 2026 that the qualifying period will rise from three years to ten once new legislation takes effect. This article is general information rather than advice, and the rules described are those in force in July 2026.

Here is who currently qualifies, how the discount is actually calculated, and what the coming reforms mean if you are weighing up an application.

Who qualifies for Right to Buy today?

Under the current GOV.UK rules, you can usually apply if the property is your only or main home, it is self-contained, you have a secure tenancy, and you have had a public sector landlord, a council, housing association or NHS trust, for at least three years in total.

Those three years do not need to be consecutive. For joint applications, qualifying tenancy periods can also affect the discount available.

If you are considering buying your council property as your first home, our first-time buyer guide can help you understand the wider buying process alongside Right to Buy.

How the Right to Buy discount calculated?

Under the rules currently in force, your potential discount depends partly on whether you are buying a house or a flat.

For a house, three to five years as a public sector tenant gives you a 35% discount. After five years, this increases by 1% for each additional year of qualifying tenancy.

For a flat, the starting discount is 50% for three to five years, increasing by 2% for every additional year after five years.

In both cases, the percentage discount is subject to a maximum. The most you can currently receive is the lower of:

• 70% of the property's market value; or

• The maximum cash discount for the property's location.

The regional cash caps are therefore particularly important.

Current maximum discounts range from £16,000 in most London boroughs to £38,000 in much of the South East. Barking and Dagenham and Havering are exceptions within London, where the maximum is £38,000.

Elsewhere, the regional maximums include £22,000 in the North East, £26,000 in the North West and West Midlands, £24,000 in Yorkshire and the Humber and East Midlands, £34,000 in the East, and £30,000 in the South West. Some areas have lower local caps.

Applications received before 21 November 2024 are treated differently and may qualify for the previous, substantially higher maximum discounts of up to £102,400 outside London and £136,400 in London.

A worked example

Take a tenant of twelve years buying their council house in the North West, valued at £180,000. Twelve years earns a discount of 42%: the 35% base plus 1% for each of the seven years beyond five. That would be £75,600, but the North West cap is £26,000, so £26,000 is what they get. The purchase price is £154,000. The percentages flatter to deceive: for most buyers in 2026, the regional cap is the real number that matters. Two other rules to factor in:

• Sell within five years and you must repay some or all of the discount; sell within ten and you must offer the property back to your old landlord first.
• If your landlord has spent money building or maintaining your home in recent decades, your discount can shrink, potentially to nothing.

Funding a Right to Buy purchase

Most Right to Buy buyers will still need a mortgage to cover the discounted purchase price. One potential advantage is that some mortgage lenders may treat the Right to Buy discount as part or all of your deposit.

For example, if your property is valued at £180,000 and your discounted purchase price is £154,000, the £26,000 difference creates equity in the property from the outset. Depending on the lender and your circumstances, this can reduce the amount of cash you need to contribute as a deposit.

Lender criteria vary, so it is worth checking your options early rather than assuming the discount will automatically satisfy a lender's deposit requirements.

If this is your first property purchase, it is also worth understanding how Right to Buy interacts with other ways of funding a home. For example, our Lifetime ISA guide for first-time buyers explains the rules around using LISA savings towards a qualifying purchase.

You should also budget realistically for the responsibilities that come with ownership.

Once the purchase completes, you can no longer rely on the council for repairs in the same way you did as a tenant. If you buy a house, costs such as repairing the roof, replacing the boiler and maintaining windows become your responsibility. If you buy a council flat, you will normally become a leaseholder and may have to pay service charges. These can become significant if the block requires major works.

The Right to Buy discount is valuable, but it is important to consider the ongoing costs that come with becoming a homeowner.

Do you need a survey when buying through Right to Buy?

Buying the home you already live in can make the property feel familiar, but that does not necessarily mean you know its structural condition.

A professional property survey can identify issues such as damp, roof defects, structural movement and maintenance problems that may become your financial responsibility after completion.

Our guide to home surveys explains the different levels of inspection available. If you receive a report and are unsure what the findings mean, see our guide on how to read a home survey report.

The reforms on the way

The government confirmed a further package of Right to Buy reforms in April 2026, and the Social Housing Bill is intended to introduce significant changes to the scheme.

The planned reforms include:

• Increasing the minimum qualifying tenancy from three years to ten years.

• Changing discounts so they start at 5% of the property's value and rise by 1% for each additional qualifying year, up to a maximum of 15% or the applicable cash cap, whichever is lower.

• Exempting newly built social and affordable homes from Right to Buy for 35 years.

• Introducing further restrictions affecting some rural properties.

These reforms represent a substantial change from the current system, particularly the proposed move away from starting discounts of 35% for houses and 50% for flats. The changes are not yet the rules applicants currently apply under. Until the relevant legislation takes effect, the existing eligibility and discount rules continue to matter.

If you already qualify and are considering buying, it therefore makes sense to check the latest official rules and understand the implications of the proposed changes before deciding when to apply.

The legal side of a Right to Buy purchase

A Right to Buy purchase still requires conveyancing. Your conveyancer will handle the legal transfer of ownership, review the title and purchase documents, deal with your mortgage lender where applicable and make sure the property is correctly registered in your name.

If you are unfamiliar with the process, our complete guide to conveyancing explains what happens from instruction through to completion.It is also worth budgeting for the legal costs alongside your mortgage and other buying expenses. Our guide to conveyancing fees explains what typically makes up your bill and which additional costs to look out for.

The bottom line

In July 2026, Right to Buy means a discount of 35 per cent plus 1 per cent a year for houses, 50 per cent plus 2 per cent for flats, capped at £16,000 to £38,000 depending on region, with three years' public sector tenancy required to apply. Confirmed reforms will raise that qualifying period to ten years once legislation passes. A Right to Buy purchase still needs full conveyancing, from title checks to the discount charge itself, so compare conveyancing quotes from firms that know the scheme, and see our complete guide to conveyancing for how the legal side fits together.