Right to Buy just went through the most restrictive set of reforms in its 45-year history, and a further, even more significant change has been confirmed but isn’t in force yet. If you’re a council tenant weighing up whether to apply, understanding exactly what’s changed, what’s still coming, and what’s genuinely still the same matters considerably before you commit.
The Discount Collapse Already in Effect
Maximum cash discounts were slashed in November 2024 from as much as £102,400 across England, and £136,400 in London, down to between £16,000 and £38,000 depending on region – a genuine return to pre-2012 levels. This change is already live and affects any application made from that date onward.
The Bigger Change Confirmed But Not Yet in Force
The government confirmed in April 2026 a further overhaul, expected to take effect later in 2026 or into 2027 once the Social Housing Bill completes its passage through Parliament. Until then, the current three-year qualifying period technically still applies – it’s worth understanding this distinction clearly, since several of the changes described online are confirmed policy, not yet live law.
The Eligibility Period Is Set to More Than Triple
Once in force, tenants will need ten years of public sector tenancy before they can apply, up from the current three years. This alone is expected to significantly reduce the volume of eligible applicants going forward.
How the Discount Itself Is Being Restructured
Rather than the previous structure starting at 35% for houses and 50% for flats, discounts will start at just 5% of property value after ten qualifying years, rising by 1 percentage point per additional year, capped at a maximum of 15% or the regional cash cap, whichever is lower. This is a substantial reduction in the scheme’s genuine financial value compared with its historic form.
New Builds Get a 35-Year Exemption
Newly built social and affordable homes will be exempt from Right to Buy entirely for 35 years after construction, a measure specifically aimed at protecting new social housing stock from being sold shortly after being built.
Why a Genuine Application Rush Already Happened Once, and May Happen Again
Applications surged to 63,378 in 2024-25, up from 18,755 the year before, as tenants rushed to apply before the November 2024 discount cuts took effect. With the next, more significant round of reforms now confirmed, a second application spike is genuinely expected later in 2026 as awareness of the incoming eligibility change spreads – worth knowing if you’re weighing up your own timing.
Resale Rules Have Also Tightened
The repayment window – the period during which you must repay some or all of your discount if you sell – has doubled from 5 years to 10 years, and local authorities now hold a right of first refusal on any resale in perpetuity. It’s worth factoring this into your genuine long-term plans, not just the immediate purchase decision.
Financing Your Right to Buy Purchase
Our Right to Buy Mortgages page covers how lenders assess this specific purchase type, including how your discount is genuinely treated as equity by most lenders, often reducing or removing the need for a separate cash deposit entirely.
If Your Credit History Isn’t Straightforward
Many long-term social tenants haven’t needed to engage with mainstream credit products for years, and it’s worth knowing this doesn’t automatically prevent a Right to Buy mortgage. Our Adverse Credit Mortgages page covers how lenders genuinely assess credit history, worth reading if you’re concerned a thin or imperfect credit file might count against you.
If This Is Genuinely Your First Mortgage
Our First Time Buyer Mortgages page covers the broader first-time buyer landscape, worth reading alongside the Right to Buy specifics, since many of the same underlying affordability principles apply.
Planning to Move On Eventually
Given the extended repayment window and first-refusal rules now attached to a Right to Buy purchase, it’s worth thinking ahead to any eventual sale or move from the outset. Our Home Mover Mortgages page covers what’s involved when that time comes, and our Remortgage page covers reviewing your rate once your initial deal ends, worth planning for as part of a genuinely complete picture rather than focusing purely on the purchase itself.
Getting the Right Advice for Your Specific Timing
Given how much genuinely depends on exactly when you apply, relative to which set of rules is actually in force at that point, it’s worth getting proper, current advice rather than relying on outdated information about discount levels or eligibility that may no longer reflect where the scheme genuinely stands. Get in touch with details of your tenancy and circumstances, and we’ll help you understand your realistic position and financing options.
