How much discount can I get through Right to Buy in 2026?

Full answer

Right to Buy is a long-standing scheme allowing eligible council tenants in England to buy their home at a discount to its market value, though the scheme has been significantly scaled back in recent years compared with its more generous historic form. **Eligibility basics** To qualify, you generally need to be a secure council tenant (or in some cases a housing association tenant under the related Right to Acquire, which offers smaller discounts) who has had a public sector tenancy for at least three years, though these years don't need to be continuous or all with the same landlord -- time as a tenant with different social landlords generally counts towards this qualifying period. **How the discount is calculated** The discount percentage increases with the length of your qualifying tenancy: it typically starts at a set percentage after the minimum three years of tenancy and increases for each additional year, up to a maximum percentage cap (which differs for houses versus flats, with flats generally eligible for a higher maximum percentage discount than houses, reflecting their typically lower capital value relative to potential resale gains). **The cash cap matters more than the percentage in many cases** Crucially, even if the percentage-based calculation would produce a larger discount, there is an overall maximum CASH discount cap that applies regardless -- meaning in high-value areas (particularly London and the South East, where property values are highest), many tenants find the cash cap, not the percentage rate, is what actually limits their discount. This cash cap was reduced from April 2023 (reversing a period where it had been more generous), reflecting government policy shifts aimed at preserving more social housing stock rather than encouraging large-scale sales. **Repayment if you sell early** If you sell the property within five years of buying it through Right to Buy, you generally have to repay some or all of the discount you received, on a sliding scale that reduces the amount owed the longer you've owned the property -- selling in year one typically requires repaying the full discount, tapering down until no repayment is required from year five onwards. **Right of first refusal / landlord's pre-emption** For a period after buying (commonly ten years), if you want to sell the property, some Right to Buy agreements require you to first offer it back to your former landlord (or the Homes England/relevant body) before selling on the open market -- check your specific purchase agreement for these terms. **Not available for all social tenants** Right to Buy specifically applies to council tenants; housing association tenants generally have the related but different Right to Acquire scheme, which typically offers smaller discounts, and some specific property types or landlords are excluded from either scheme. **Practical tip** Because discount caps, percentages, and rules are periodically reviewed and adjusted by government, always check the current, up-to-date figures directly on gov.uk or with your local council before relying on a specific discount amount, and get an independent mortgage affordability assessment early, since you'll need to fund the discounted purchase price yourself.

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