Home sales under Right to Buy leap 90%
Rachel Springall, of Moneyfacts, says there could be a rush to buy ahead of planned changes to the social housing rules.
The number of homes sold under Right to Buy leapt 90% despite moves to tighten the criteria for tenants, it has been revealed.
Property data group Moneyfacts reveals 14,275 council homes were sold under the Right to Buy scheme in England in 2025 to 2026.
Only 3,452 replacement homes were funded through receipts from sales, a decrease of 7% compared with the previous year.
Discounts reduced
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner had previously reduced the discounts available to council tenants to buy their home, and the time living in the property to qualify could be extended.
Local authorities received £1.61billion from Right to Buy sales, an increase of 99.6% on 2024 to 2025. The average receipt was £112,900, up 5%.
Since the start of the Right to Buy scheme in 1980, there have been just over two million sales to tenants, at 2,052,813.
The limited housing stock will still mean some tenants are forced to rent privately.”
Rachel Springall, Finance Expert at Moneyfacts (pictured), says: “There are currently proposed reforms to overhaul the Right to Buy scheme under the Social Housing Bill, going through Parliament.
“The proposed changes to the Right to Buy scheme could cause a rush for tenants to buy their home in the months ahead, so seeking advice would be wise.
“Overall, the planned reforms and limited housing stock will still mean some tenants are forced to rent privately if they need to settle at a specific location for work or family reasons.”
She went on to say: “Alongside this, those who have saved over recent years and are now finally ready to get a mortgage will be disappointed that mortgage rates have been climbing amid prolonged unrest in the Middle East”.
