The Right to Buy scheme gives most council tenants the opportunity to buy their home with a discount off the full market value of the property.
As of 2 April 2012, the discount cap for Right to Buy purchases is £75,000. This applies across the country and replaces the regional cap of £34,000 previously in place for Norwich. All other criteria concerning your eligibility to apply remains the same. Any updates issued to local authorities by the Department for Communities and Local Government will be included on this web page to give you further information.
Click here for the Right to Buy leaflet (84 Kb pdf)
Use the links below to access Right to Buy leaflets and an application form on the Communities and Local Government website:
Your Right to Buy Your Home (189 Kb pdf)
Thinking of Buying a Council Flat? (96.3 Kb pdf)
Application form 'RTB1'
More information on home ownership can be found on our housing service standards page.
Who qualifies?
To qualify for the Right to Buy a secure tenant must have five years tenancy with Norwich City Council, or other qualifying landlords. Other qualifying landlords include:
- another council
- some Housing Associations
- the Forces
- other public bodies.
Who does not qualify?
There are certain situations in which a tenant is unable to qualify for the Right to Buy, including:
- new tenants after 18/01/05 with a tenancy or tenancies of less than five years
- tenants of Sheltered Housing Schemes, and Disabled Housing Developments
- where a property is particularly suited for elderly people
- tenants without a secure tenancy
- tenancies granted under homeless legislation.
How does the scheme work?
A discount is applied to the purchase price of the property, depending on the type of property and how long someone has been a secure tenant for. The maximum discount available is £75,000. To calculate whether a tenant qualifies for the maximum discount, a percentage figure is applied to the value of the property. For a flat or maisonette, a discount of 40% is applied plus an additional 2% per year of the qualifying tenancy period up to 70%. For a house, a discount of 30% is applied plus an additional 1% per year of the qualifying tenancy period up to 60%.
Example - An applicant living in a house valued at £170,000 with a tenancy history of 20 years
- Qualifying % = 30% + 20 x 1% = 50%
- £170,000 x 50% = £85,000
The maximum discount of £75,000 is applied. Therefore the house would be offered for sale at £95,000.
How to apply
Download and print off an RTB1 application form from the Directgov website. Alternatively, you can get an information pack and form by contacting the home ownership team on 01603 213144 or by calling into your neighbourhood office.
Completed application forms must be sent back to:
Home Ownership Team
Norwich City Council
City Hall
Norwich
NR2 1NH.
What happens to the applications?
Following receipt of your application form, we will send an acknowledgement by post.
- Usually within four weeks a letter is sent confirming your Right to Buy or rejecting your application.
- An offer letter confirming your details and the purchase price is sent within eight weeks of this if it is a house or 12 weeks if it is a flat or maisonette.
The tenant then has three months to decide whether to accept the offer. If accepted, the sale will proceed to the final stage - known as 'conveyancing' and the purchase will be completed.
What happens if I no longer wish to proceed?
You may withdraw your application for The Right to Buy at any time during the process. This will not affect your right to re-apply, if you wish to do so, in the future.
Click here for the Right to Buy withdrawal form (65.4 Kb pdf) or contact the home ownership team on 01603 213144.
Alternatively, if you have received an offer of sale (Section 125 Notice), you may select 'option 3' when responding.
Are there any alternatives?
If you decide the Right to Buy scheme isn't appropriate, you may be interested to know that there are alternatives, such as shared ownership or shared equity schemes.
Visit the Orbit website for more information and other potential schemes.
For more information about becoming a leaseholder, including how your obligations differ from being a tenant, please see our leaseholders page
Useful links