Right to Buy loss

ILikeToBuyShinyThings

Hi everyone,

Up until March I was living in a council property and had been for 28 years which would have given me maximum discount under the right to buy scheme. However, the house was marked for demolition a few years ago with the council awarding the rebuilding of new homes for our rehousing to a housing association, I moved in March into one of the new build properties and so am now a housing association tenant as opposed to a council tenant. Seeing as the right to buy scheme does not cover housing association properties (unless they were previously owned by the council) have I lost all my years tenancy and my ability to use the right to buy scheme? Seems massively unfair if I have given that I had no option but to move from council to housing association because of the council's plans.

thanks

Running_Horse

Are you happy with your brand new house? I'm guessing the old house was demolished for a reason and a brand new one provided at some cost. You are very fortunate to live in a country with such generous public housing provision. Enjoy your new home.

kinger101

Well, if you want to buy a house, just pay open market value like everyone else. What's unfair about that? But I doubt you had the intention of buying it, given you rented it for 28 years!

agrinnall

If you'd bought your council house at any time during the 28 years you lived there then you'd have been compulsorily purchased and you'd have the cash in the bank to buy elsewhere - you didn't, so you haven't.

fairy_lights

I thought the point of right to buy was to allow people to purchase the home they've lived in for years. As that home has now been demolished why should you still have the right to buy? I don't think it's unfair that you've lost it tbh, you had years to exercise that right but chose not to.

lighting_up_the_chalice

Well, at least the above posts have given you an insight into public opinion on the matter. Basically "If I haven't got it, why should you have it".

However, for more factual information, you may like to read through your new tenancy agreement and the other information provided at the time of sign-up.

Many providers will not allow R2B on new-build properties. Often this is time limited, but some are absolute.

However, if R2B (or "right to acquire" with HA's) is permitted, the discount rates etc are all obtainable from your new landlord, often on their website. Your previous 28 years as a council tenant WILL count towards any discount allowable.

If you are lucky, and decants often are, you will have been transferred to the HA with "preserved terms", which means your new home is available for R2B under EXACTLY the same terms as your old one.

dodger1

ILikeToBuyShinyThings wrote: »

Hi everyone,

Up until March I was living in a council property and had been for 28 years which would have given me maximum discount under the right to buy scheme. However, the house was marked for demolition a few years ago with the council awarding the rebuilding of new homes for our rehousing to a housing association, I moved in March into one of the new build properties and so am now a housing association tenant as opposed to a council tenant. Seeing as the right to buy scheme does not cover housing association properties (unless they were previously owned by the council) have I lost all my years tenancy and my ability to use the right to buy scheme? Seems massively unfair if I have given that I had no option but to move from council to housing association because of the council's plans.

thanks

As yours was previously owned by the council what is the problem?

kinger101

lighting_up_the_chalice wrote: »

Well, at least the above posts have given you an insight into public opinion on the matter. Basically "If I haven't got it, why should you have it".

Perhaps perhaps people generally disagree with the principle of social housing being transferred into private ownership.

Pixie5740

Some might think that paying full market rent whilst saving a deposit to buy a house at the full market rate whilst others pay less rent and get a huge discount when buying the property is massively unfair as you may have gathered by some of the responses on this thread.

Is this just a theoretical question or is it after 28 years of renting you've decided to become a home owner? Read your TA and whatever other documents you were given. You could also ask the HA.

Depending on how old you are you might find that your age is a barrier when it comes to getting a mortgage.

McKneff

dodger1 wrote: »

As yours was previously owned by the council what is the problem?

The old one was owned by the council.


The new one that the OP moved into was HA and had never been owned by the council.

lighting_up_the_chalice

kinger101 wrote: »

Perhaps perhaps people generally disagree with the principle of social housing being transferred into private ownership.

Perhaps they do. But the OP was seeking advice and information, not opinion.