Answers · UK 2025/26
How much discount can I get under Right to Buy in 2026?
Right to Buy discounts in England depend on how long you have been a council tenant and whether the property is a house or flat, with maximum discount caps set nationally — currently up to £116,200 outside London and £119,500 within London (figures uprated periodically), or up to 70% of the property's value, whichever is lower.
Full answer
Right to Buy lets eligible secure council tenants in England buy their home at a discount to its market value, with the discount building up the longer you have lived there as a public sector tenant. For houses, the discount starts at 35% after 3 years of qualifying tenancy, rising by 1 percentage point for each additional year up to a maximum of 70%. For flats, the discount starts at a higher 50% after 3 years, also rising by 2 percentage points per additional year, up to the same 70% maximum — flats attract a steeper starting discount partly reflecting the additional costs and risks (such as future leasehold service charges and major works bills) that come with flat ownership. Regardless of how these percentage calculations work out, the discount is capped at a maximum cash amount set nationally by the government, currently up to £116,200 for properties outside London and £119,500 for properties within London (these caps are reviewed and can be uprated), meaning very long-serving tenants of higher-value properties may find their actual discount is capped well below the theoretical 70% figure. If you sell the property within 5 years of buying under Right to Buy, you must repay some or all of the discount received, on a sliding scale that reduces the amount owed the longer you have owned it (repayable amount typically reduces by 20 percentage points of the discount for each complete year of ownership within that 5-year window). Since 2024, the eligibility qualifying period was increased from 3 years to require any period as a public sector tenant to count towards the 3-year minimum but be aware some administrations have discussed further reforms to discount levels, so always check current GOV.UK guidance and your specific council's figures before assuming a discount amount. Right to Buy does not apply in Scotland or Wales, both of which abolished the scheme (2016 in Scotland, 2019 in Wales). Use the Mortgage Affordability calculator to check what you could borrow against the discounted purchase price.
Try the calculator
This answer is informational only and does not constitute financial, tax or legal advice. Figures are for the 2025/26 UK tax year. See our methodology and sources.