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Right to Buy, Right to Acquire

Although they sound similar, the Right to Buy and the Right to Acquire are separate and very different legal schemes that give certain tenants the right to buy their current homes.

The Right to Buy

If you had a secure local authority tenancy and your property was transferred to Guinness South , you may have “Preserved Right to Buy”. You do not have the Right to Buy if you have an assured tenancy. Most Guinness South tenants have an assured tenancy.

Discounts are available depending on the length of time you have lived in the property you want to buy.

You will not have the Right to Buy if:

  • We have gone to court for a possession order against you.
  • You have started bankruptcy proceedings or your creditors have started proceedings against you.
  • You lived in sheltered housing.

If you used to be a council tenant and you think you might qualify for the Right to Buy, please contact your area office for more information. 

Further information on this scheme can also be found by clicking here.

The Right to Acquire

The Right to Acquire is a legal right that applies to all eligible properties owned by Guinness South.

Your right to acquire your current home depends on a number of criteria, some of which apply to the property itself while others you must meet as a tenant.

Eligible properties:

  • Must have been built after 1 April 1997 or transferred to Guinness Trust by a local authority after that date.

You are eligible if:

  • Your first public sector tenancy started before 18 January 2005 and you have spent a total of two years as a public sector tenant.
  • Your first public sector tenancy started after 18 January 2005 and you have spent a total of five years as a public sector tenant.
  • You live in a self-contained house or flat that is your only or main home.
  • You are not an undischarged bankrupt or have an outstanding bankruptcy petition against you.
  • We have not obtained a possession order against you.
  • You have not agreed an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) or other formal agreement with your creditors.

You can apply with up to three other members of your family if they also live in the property.

If you think you qualify for this scheme you should contact your local area office. We will check that you definitely do have the right to acquire and, if you do, get a valuation for your property and calculate any available discount.

More detailed information can be found on the Housing Corporation website.  (The Housing Corporation was replaced by the Tenant Services Authority as the regulator of social housing in December 2009 but its website continues to host some useful information).