Can I still use Right to Buy in Scotland?

Full answer

Right to Buy, which lets eligible social housing tenants purchase their council or housing association home at a discount, has been abolished in two of the UK's four nations. The Scottish Government ended Right to Buy completely from 1 August 2016, removing even the 'preserved right to buy' that some tenants had retained from stock transfers, in response to concerns about the shrinking social housing stock. The Welsh Government followed, abolishing Right to Buy and the related Right to Acquire from 26 January 2019, for broadly the same reason -- protecting the supply of affordable social homes. In Northern Ireland, a similar scheme called House Sales Scheme still operates, allowing Housing Executive and housing association tenants to buy their homes at a discount, though eligibility rules and discount levels differ from the English scheme. In England, Right to Buy remains available, but the maximum cash discount was substantially reduced from April 2024 (down from figures as high as £102,400 outside London and £136,400 in London to a flat £16,000 outside London and £38,000 in London, broadly, with numbers reviewed periodically) after concerns that the scheme was depleting council housing stock faster than it could be replaced. Anyone considering Right to Buy should check current eligibility and discount levels for their specific nation and local authority directly with their landlord, since rules continue to be reviewed.

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