How much discount am I entitled to?

Your discount depends on the number of years you have been a council tenant and on the valuation of your property. This may include time spent in different homes and/or with different landlords.  If you lived with your parents after the age of sixteen and later became a tenant of the same home, you may be able to include that time as well. 

If you are buying jointly with someone who has a longer qualifying period than yours, you will be entitled to their higher rate of discount but you cannot 'add together' your separate qualifying periods.

For more information on the minimum qualifying periods, visit Do I qualify?

Houses

The basic discount after two years is 32% for houses.  You are then entitled to an extra 1% discount for each extra complete year, up to a limit of 60%.

The basic discount after five years is 35% for houses.  You are then entitled to an extra 1% discount for each extra complete year, up to a limit of 60%.

Flats and maisonettes

The basic discount after two years is 44% for flats and maisonettes.  You are then entitled to an extra 2% discount for each extra complete year, up to a limit of 70%.

The basic discount after five years is 50% for flats and maisonettes.  You are then entitled to an extra 2% discount for each extra complete year, up to a limit of 70%.

Limits on discount

The Government changed the discount rules on 11 February 1999 and the maximum cash discount in the North East of England is £22,000.  Full details of maximum discount are set out in the Government booklet – ‘Your Right to Buy your home’ –  you can download this at http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/yourright.

If the Council has spent £5,000 or more on building, buying, improving or maintaining your home in the ten years before you make your application to buy it, the discount received must not reduce the purchase price below the amount spent on it.

If you have previously bought a property under the Right to Buy scheme, then the discount you received for that property will usually be taken off the discount on a subsequent Right to Buy purchase.