Right to Buy

If you are thinking about buying your council home, the first thing to do is to use the government's Right to Buy checker to see if you are eligible. 

From 06 April 2018 the maximum Right to Buy discount in London is £108,000. This discount is for applications received on or after 6 April 2018. For applications made before 6 April 2018 the previous Right to Buy maximum discount for London is £104,900.

Check how much your home is likely to cost before applying using the Right to Buy calculator.

Some types of home are excluded from the scheme, including adapted homes and sheltered housing.

Costs to consider

Becoming a home owner is usually the biggest financial decision people make in their life. The discount available under the Right to Buy means that lots of tenants are thinking about buying their home.

It is important you consider the financial implications and other responsibilities you would have as a home owner before you decide if buying your home is the right choice for you.

Property prices in Islington are high. The average price of a flat or maisonette at the end of 2016/17 was £572,435 based on Land Registry figures. So even with the Right to Buy discount, many of our properties may not be affordable

Is Right to Buy right for you?

The process

If you want to apply for Right to Buy, follow these steps.

1.     Complete your application

 If you think you are eligible, you can apply now by completing:

Right to Buy RTB1 application form (PDF, 356KB)

Right to Buy RTB1a additional information form (PDF, 140KB)

Once you have completed and signed the forms, we will need to see you in person with a valid form of photo ID - either a passport or a drivers licence.

We cannot accept scanned or emailed copies of an application form or ID.

Please contact us to make an appointment - we can only see you if you have booked in with us.

Phone: 020 7527 7715

Email: righttobuy@islington.gov.uk

2.     We will assess your application

This can take up to 28 days. You will be notified by post of the decision to either admit or deny your application.

3.     Valuation of your home

Once your application to purchase your home has been accepted, the property must then be valued. We will arrange for the property to be surveyed by the council’s Valuation Department. They will phone or write to you with an appointment time and date.

4.     Landlord’s Offer 

We will issue you with your Landlord’s Offer (Section 125) Notice. This will give you the valuation and the purchase price after taking off the discount. This is a very important document and you should read it very carefully and seek advice if you are not clear about any of the contents. You have 12 weeks to accept the Offer.

5.     Offer acceptance

If you accept the Offer we will draw up floor plans and pass your application to our Legal Services Department with instructions to proceed with the sale. You will need to appoint a solicitor or conveyancer to deal with the legal aspects of your purchase. You should organise the funding or mortgage arrangements and also get an independent survey from a qualified surveyor if you’ve not done so already.

6.     Completion

At this stage our Legal Services Department will draft the necessary legal documents which will then be forwarded to your solicitor for approval. Once the documentation is approved and mortgage arrangements are in place, your solicitors will agree a completion date with our legal department.

Beware of people offering help

There are companies and individuals that offer tenants money to apply to buy the home on their behalf. You must not enter into this type of deal. Some tenants have ended up homeless through this. If you enter into this type of agreement, you will have to repay the discount. Any money that you make is unlikely to be enough to buy another home, and we will not provide you with another tenancy.