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Buy your rented home - The 'right to acquire'
Can you afford to buy your home?
We recommend that you fully evaluate your financial situation and understand all costs associated with purchasing your home before proceeding to apply.
A detailed assessment of income, expenditure, and financial circumstances, including a budget planner can be completed by a financial advisor or TMP* can assist you to conduct an affordability assessment, this can be completed before applying to buy your home to avoid disappointment
*Other mortgage advisers are available.
What you can do to get ready to buy
To prepare for purchasing your home, we recommend taking the following steps to assess your financial readiness:
Use tools like Zoopla home value estimator to get a guided price for your property.
If you require a mortgage, seek professional financial advice. We recommend reaching out to The Mortgage People* for guidance.
*Other mortgage advisers are available.
Be aware of the costs involved in buying your home, which may include:
- Solicitors’ fees
- Survey costs
- Mortgage arrangement fees
As a homeowner, you will be responsible for:
- The cost of all property repairs
- Service charges for maintaining communal or shared areas
- Paying for buildings insurance
Review property prices in your area and calculate the mortgage amount you are likely to need to ensure affordability.
How do I apply for Right to Acquire?
- Check your eligibility via the government website
- Complete the application form on the government website here. Once complete send the completed form to ehst@bromford.co.uk.
- Once you have completed the government form, fill and submit the buy your rented home form.
Right to Acquire FAQs
The right to acquire is a government scheme that could let you buy your home at a discounted price. The scheme has helped thousands of people across the country become homeowners. There are a few rules that must be met to qualify for the right to acquire, but if you do, it can be an excellent way to get on the property ladder. If you're looking for an affordable home and are a housing association tenant, the right to acquire could be the perfect option for you.
You might be able to use the right to Acquire scheme if:
- Your property was bought or developed by Bromford after 31st March 1997 and funded through a social housing grant provided by Homes England or local council, or transferred from a local council to Bromford after 31 March 1997,
- The property you live in is not located in a designated rural area as defined by the UK Government's Statutory Instruments (Housing Orders 1997),
- You don't live in sheltered or other housing specifically for elderly or disabled people,
- You don't have any outstanding possession orders against you because you have breached terms of your tenancy agreement.
Some properties which we developed after 2011 without government subsidy may also be eligible for Right to Acquire.
The discount is a fixed amount depending on the local authority area you live in. The maximum discount is between £9,000 and £16,000 in England and is £8,000 in wales. The discount is deducted from the open market value of the property.
Any improvement that you want to be taken into consideration for your application must have been:
- previously approved in writing by Bromford
- paid for by you (proof will be required)
- applied for and completed in the last 12 years
We will not consider improvements that are over 12 years old or that were not approved by Bromford.
All improvements must have increased the value of the property according to the official valuation at the time of your application to buy your home.
Not all improvements are considered to add value to the property. For example, redecoration or general maintenance.
Improvements that could be considered to have added value to the property include central heating, double glazing, a fitted kitchen, or a new bathroom suite.
For full improvement information and application go to - Ask us for permission to make a change in your home.
More information
The government website is full of further information that you might find useful here, alternatively please check out the Right to acquire pack below.
Privacy Notice
When you purchase your home, we share your data with the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government for research and statistical purposes as part of the COntinous REcording of Social Housing lettings and Sales (CORE). Learn more about how your data is used for research.
Please advise your case handler if you do not wish to take part in the COntinous REcording of Social Housing lettings and Sales (CORE).