Right to buy

You can apply to buy your council house if you:

  • have been a secure tenant for at least three years
  • are not bankrupt or in rent arrears
  • are not in sheltered housing
  • are named on the tenancy agreement

It usually takes us 16 weeks to calculate how much you will have to pay. You cannot use housing benefit to pay your mortgage.

Apply

Read the Right to Buy handbook and Right to Buy policy before starting the application process.

You will need to complete the Right to Buy form and our Right to Buy – supplementary form.

All people involved in a Right to Buy application should email their completed forms to homeownership@reading.gov.uk along with the following documents, photo ID will need to be brought into the Civic Offices in person.

  • Primary identity documents (1 document)
    • Passport
    • Biometric residence permit
    • Birth certificate
  • Other identity documents (1 document)
    • Current driving licence – photocard
    • Marriage/civil partnership certificate
    • Adoption certificate
    • HM forces ID card
  • Residency documents (12 months consecutive proof needed)
    • Bank or building society statement or account opening letter
    • Credit card statement
    • Wage slips
    • P45
    • P60
    • Financial statement, for example, pension/endowment
    • Work permit/Visa
    • Utility bill
    • Benefit statement, for example, child benefit/pension
  • Bank or mortgage lender proof that you can buy the property

If you have lived in a number of qualifying properties, you will need to prove the former tenancies if you want them to be taken into consideration when calculating the discount.

Please contact the Homeownership Team on 0118 937 2092 or homeownership@reading.gov.uk if you any further questions.

Last updated on 03/08/2023