The Right to Buy Scheme allows you to buy your council home at a price lower than the full market value. This discount is based on the number of years you have spent as a public sector tenant.
If you wish to exercise your Right to Buy, it's recommended that you seek independent legal and financial advice about your individual circumstances and to help with the legal process of buying a house. Buying your home is probably the biggest financial decision you'll ever make, so take time to consider whether it is the right choice for you.
If you buy your house
You'll become responsible for all the costs of maintaining your home, including routine repairs, major structural repairs and improvements to it.
Please read the Government guidance on Buying your Council Home (GOV.UK).
If you buy your flat
You'll become a leaseholder and you'll have to pay service charges. You must also meet the costs of major repairs and refurbishment.
Please read the Government guidance on Buying your Council Flat (GOV.UK).
Find out if you're eligible
The Government's Right to Buy (RTB) website has an eligibility quiz and discounts calculator. They're there to help you understand whether you might be eligible and, if so, the costs of buying and maintaining your home.
You can find the quiz and calculator in the Government guidance on the Right to Buy your Council Home (GOV.UK).
If you have any further questions you can email the Government's Right to Buy Team.
We're required by law to protect the public funds we administer. We may share information provided to it with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds, in order to prevent and detect fraud. You can find more information about this in our Anti-Fraud, Bribery and Corruption Policy.
If you want to apply to buy your home
Download and print a Notice Claiming the Right to Buy (Form RTB1) (GOV.UK).
Alternatively, you can contact us to request a paper copy for us to send to you by post.
Telephone: 01229 876578
Email: housing@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk
You should return your form to us at the below address:
Housing Department
Town Hall
Duke Street
Barrow-in-Furness
LA14 2LD
What happens after we receive your form
In order to prevent and detect fraud, we may do one or more of the following:
- share information about you with other organisations including the Police
- conduct searches about you using publicly available databases
- check and/or share your details with fraud prevention and detection agencies
We'll use your form to decide whether you have the right to buy and how much discount you will get.
You'll receive a Notice (Form RTB2) telling you whether or not you have the Right to Buy. We'll send this within four weeks from the date of receiving your application form (Form RTB1).
If we agree to sell your home to you, we'll send you a separate offer notice (Section 125 Notice). This will tell you:
- the market value of the property at the time you submitted your application. Any improvements you have made to the property are not taken into account
- the discount you are entitled to
- the price that you have to pay
- the terms and conditions of sale
If you're buying a house, we'll send this within a further eight weeks after you received your RTB2 form. If you're purchasing a flat, we'll send it within 12 weeks.
If you've bought your home and are thinking about re-mortgaging or borrowing additional monies
If you've bought your home using the Right to Buy and are still within the repayment discount period, you must seek the our consent before you can re-mortgage or apply for additional borrowing.
For more information on this please read our Deed of Postponement Policy.
Contact us
If you need any further advice or information on any aspect of the Right to Buy Scheme, please contact us by telephone or email using the details below.
If you contact us by telephone, an email will be sent to our team with your details. We'll then call you back.
Telephone: 01229 876578
Email: housing@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk