Right to Buy or Acquire
Bernicia recognises the importance of helping tenants to make the right choices relating to exercising their Right to Buy (RTB) or Right to Acquire (RTA). Here's a guide if you're looking to buy or acquire your home.
Right to Buy guide Right to Acquire guideThe Right to Buy
The Right to Buy (RTB) scheme enables tenants who hold Secure tenancies to purchase their home at a discount.
Typically, Secure tenancies are granted by Councils but if the ownership your home was transferred from a Council to a Housing Association whilst you were living there, then you may have what is called the Preserved RTB.
In order to qualify for the RTB you must hold a secure tenancy (or have the Preserved RTB) and have spent a total of three years or more as a public sector tenant. The three years doesn’t have to be continuous, and you can add together any previous tenancies you have held with other public sector landlords. A public sector landlord is a public body such as a council, housing association or government department.
Right to Acquire
If you don’t qualify for the RTB because you have an Assured Tenancy rather than a Secure Tenancy, then you may be able to buy your property under a different scheme called the Right to Acquire (RTA). To qualify for the RTA both you and your home need to be eligible. Like the RTB, you must have held a public sector tenancy for a total of three years or more. In addition, your current home must have been built or acquired by the Housing Association after 1 April 1997 and funded through Social Housing Grant or Assistance.
If you need further assistance in identifying which scheme you may be eligible for, our Home Ownership team is happy to help. Please get in touch by emailing homeownership@bernicia.com or calling 0344 800 3800.
This has come at a really good time just when we needed it. The house is perfect with two bedrooms – we wouldn’t have been able to afford it without the shared ownership scheme.
This has come at a really good time just when we needed it. The house is perfect with two bedrooms – we wouldn’t have been able to afford it without the shared ownership scheme.