Right to Buy Calculator
Estimate your Right to Buy discount and purchase price for your council or housing association home, based on your property type, tenancy length and region.
Calculate Your Right to Buy Discount
Enter your home’s market value, how long you’ve been a public sector tenant, and your region to estimate your potential discount and purchase price.
Right to Buy Discount
Estimate your discount and purchase price for your council or housing association home.
How it Works
Understanding the Right to Buy discount
Base Discount
Houses start at a 35% discount and flats at 50%, available once you’ve been a public sector tenant for at least three years.
Extra Years Add More
Beyond five years of tenancy, the discount rises by 1% per extra year for houses, or 2% per extra year for flats, up to a maximum percentage.
Apply the Percentage
We apply your percentage discount to the property’s market value to find the uncapped discount amount.
Regional Cash Cap
Your discount is then capped at a maximum cash amount that depends on your region, whichever of the two figures is lower.
Regional Discount Caps
Maximum cash discounts by region, applying to Right to Buy applications made from 21 November 2024 onwards. Some local areas within a region have lower caps, so always confirm the exact figure with your council.
| Region | Maximum Cash Discount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| London | £16,000 | Some boroughs have a higher local cap |
| North East | £22,000 | — |
| North West | £26,000 | — |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £24,000 | — |
| East Midlands | £24,000 | — |
| West Midlands | £26,000 | — |
| Eastern | £34,000 | Reduced to £16,000 in Watford |
| South East | £38,000 | Reduced to £16,000 in several districts |
| South West | £30,000 | — |
Right to Buy FAQ
Answers to the most frequently asked questions about buying your council or housing association home.
Right to Buy is a UK government scheme that lets eligible council tenants in England buy the home they rent at a discount below its market value. Eligibility generally requires being a secure tenant who has spent at least three years in total as a public sector tenant, whether or not that time was continuous or with the same landlord.
The discount depends on whether you’re buying a house or a flat and how long you’ve been a public sector tenant. Houses start at a 35% discount, rising by 1% for every year of tenancy beyond five years, up to a maximum percentage discount. Flats start at a 50% discount, rising by 2% for every year beyond five years, up to a higher maximum. The discount is then capped at a maximum cash amount, which varies by region.
Following a government review, the maximum cash discounts available under Right to Buy were significantly reduced for applications made from 21 November 2024 onwards. The change was intended to protect the supply of social housing by making it easier for councils to replace homes sold under the scheme, and it lowered the regional discount caps compared with the higher limits that applied previously.
Yes, in most cases. If you sell your home within five years of buying it under Right to Buy, you’ll usually need to repay some or all of the discount on a sliding scale. Your landlord may also have the first right to buy the property back within this period, so it’s worth checking the specific repayment terms that apply to your purchase.