Right to Buy Conveyancing Solicitors

For many council and housing association tenants, owning their home feels like a distant dream. The Right to Buy scheme can make that a reality, but the legal process involved can feel unfamiliar and, at times, overwhelming. Knowing you have the right specialist support in place makes all the difference.

Our Right to Buy solicitors guide you through every stage of the conveyancing process, from your initial application through to receiving the keys to your home. We work with tenants across Croydon, South London and beyond, providing clear, practical advice and handling the legal work so you can focus on what matters most.

Rest assured that our conveyancing team will manage your Right to Buy purchase with the care, precision and transparency you deserve.

Our Right to Buy conveyancing solicitors can help with:

• Advising on eligibility for the Right to Buy scheme
• Reviewing your section 125 notice (your landlord’s formal offer)
• Acting on freehold and leasehold Right to Buy purchases
• Handling the full conveyancing process from offer to completion
• Advising on Preserved Right to Buy and Right to Acquire

Get a fixed-fee Right to Buy conveyancing quote

Ready to take the next step? Call us on 0208 680 5018 or visit your nearest Atkins Hope office in Croydon, Medway, Blackheath or Guildford for a fixed-fee quote with no hidden costs.

You can also reach us through our online enquiry form and a member of our team will respond promptly.

What is the Right to Buy scheme?

The Right to Buy scheme gives eligible council tenants in England the legal right to purchase the home they rent at a discounted price. Introduced under the Housing Act 1980, it remains one of the most significant routes to home ownership available to social housing tenants.

If you hold a secure council tenancy, you may be entitled to buy your property at a reduction compared to its open market value. Our Right to Buy solicitors can confirm whether the scheme applies to you and explain exactly what the purchase process will involve.

Who is eligible for Right to Buy?

To qualify for Right to Buy, your home must be your only or main residence and must be self-contained. You’ll need to hold a secure tenancy and have spent at least three years as a public sector tenant, though these years don’t need to be consecutive.

Certain properties are exempt, including those designated for elderly or disabled residents. Some tenancies also fall outside the scheme’s scope. If you’re unsure whether your situation qualifies, our Right to Buy solicitors can assess your position and give you a clear answer.

How much discount could you receive?

The discount you receive depends on how long you’ve been a public sector tenant and whether your home is a house or a flat.

For houses, the discount starts at 35% for tenancies of three to five years, increasing by 1% for each additional year beyond that. For flats, the discount begins at 50%, rising by 2% for each additional year. In both cases, the discount is capped at 70% of the property’s market value or a regional maximum cash figure, whichever is lower.

These figures can represent a meaningful saving, but it’s important to understand the full financial picture before you commit. Our team can help you review your landlord’s offer carefully and make sure everything stacks up.

The Right to Buy conveyancing process step by step

Understanding the stages from the outset helps to avoid delays and uncertainty. Here’s how a typical Right to Buy purchase progresses:

1. Submit your RTB1 form. The RTB1 form is the application form you submit to your landlord to formally begin the Right to Buy process.
2. Receive your landlord’s decision. Your landlord must respond within four weeks of receiving your application, or eight weeks if they’ve been your landlord for less than three years.
3. Receive your section 125 notice. If your application is accepted, your landlord will issue a section 125 notice, their formal written offer setting out the price and discount, within eight weeks for freehold properties or 12 weeks for leasehold.
4. Instruct a solicitor. Once you’ve received your section 125 notice, you should instruct a Right to Buy conveyancing solicitor as early as possible.
5. Legal checks and searches. Your solicitor will carry out searches, review the title to the property, and raise any necessary enquiries with the landlord’s solicitors.
6. Exchange and completion. Once all legal requirements have been satisfied, contracts are exchanged and a completion date is set. On completion, the property is yours.

Our solicitors manage each of these stages on your behalf. Whether your property is freehold or leasehold, our freehold purchase and leasehold purchase services are tailored to the specific requirements of a Right to Buy transaction.

Why choose Atkins Hope for your Right to Buy purchase?

We’re a Law Society Conveyancing Quality accredited firm with offices across South London and the South East. Our conveyancing team has practical experience handling Right to Buy transactions for council and housing association tenants, and we understand the specific legal requirements and timelines that apply.

We offer fixed-fee pricing and transparent upfront quotes, so there are no surprises along the way. We liaise directly with your local authority or housing association’s solicitors, manage statutory deadlines, and keep you informed at every stage. If you’re also considering a remortgage after you’ve completed your purchase, our remortgage solicitors can support you at that point too.

Common issues we help Right to Buy buyers navigate

Right to Buy purchases don’t always run smoothly. Some of the challenges our solicitors regularly help clients work through include:

• Delays from landlords in issuing the section 125 notice or responding to legal enquiries within the statutory timeframe.
• Leasehold complications, including short leases, service charge liabilities or restrictive covenants that may affect your ownership going forward.
• Valuation disputes, where you believe the property has been overvalued in the section 125 notice and wish to challenge the figure.
• Eligibility uncertainties, particularly where tenancy arrangements are complex or historical records are incomplete.
• Title issues, including missing documents or boundary uncertainties that need resolving before completion can take place.

If disputes arise during or after your purchase, our property disputes team can advise and assist where needed.

Frequently asked questions

How long does Right to Buy conveyancing take?

Right to Buy conveyancing typically takes between two and four months from instruction to completion, though the exact timescale depends on the complexity of the property and how promptly your landlord responds to legal enquiries. Leasehold transactions tend to take longer than freehold ones. We’ll keep you updated throughout so you always know where things stand.

Do I have to use a solicitor for Right to Buy?

You’re not legally required to use a solicitor, but it’s strongly advisable. Right to Buy involves legal searches, title checks, contract reviews and specific statutory requirements. Errors or omissions can cause delays or create problems after completion. Our solicitors manage the full process on your behalf, protecting your interests at every stage.

How much does a Right to Buy solicitor cost?

Our Right to Buy conveyancing fees are charged on a fixed-fee basis, so you’ll know the full cost before we begin. The fee varies depending on whether your property is freehold or leasehold and the purchase price involved. You can view our freehold pricing and leasehold pricing pages for a clear breakdown.

Can I use Right to Buy if I rent from a housing association?

It depends on your circumstances. If your home was originally a council property that was transferred to a housing association and you were a council tenant at the time, you may have a Preserved Right to Buy, which works in much the same way as the standard scheme.

If you’re an assured housing association tenant without Preserved Right to Buy, you may qualify under the Right to Acquire scheme instead, which offers a smaller discount. Our solicitors can advise on which route applies to your situation.

What happens if I sell my Right to Buy property within five years?

If you sell within five years of completing your Right to Buy purchase, you’ll be required to repay some or all of the discount you received. The amount you must repay reduces the longer you’ve owned the property. After five years, you’re free to sell without any repayment obligation, though your former landlord may have a right of first refusal in certain circumstances. We’d always recommend taking legal advice before deciding to sell.

Can I apply for Right to Buy jointly?

Yes. You can apply jointly with someone who shares your tenancy, or with up to three family members who’ve lived in the property as their main home for at least 12 months before the application. Joint applications can affect your mortgage options and overall financial position, so it’s worth getting legal advice early in the process to understand the full picture.

Speak to a Right to Buy solicitor today

To speak with a specialist Right to Buy solicitor, please call 0208 680 5018 or contact your nearest Atkins Hope office in Croydon, Medway, Blackheath or Guildford.

If you’d prefer to make an enquiry online, simply use our online enquiry form and a member of our team will get back to you promptly.