Right to buy & acquire

Right to Buy

One of the main promises that we made to our customers when Housing was transferred from Derwentside District Council was to allow people to buy their homes through the ‘Preserved Right to Buy’.
If you were a secure tenant of Derwentside District Council and transferred to us, as a successor of a previous secure tenant of the Council, you may still be able to buy your home at a discounted rate.

Right to Acquire

If you are not eligible for the Preserved Right to Buy scheme, you may have the Right to Acquire. The Right to Acquire is similar to the Right to Buy in that it allows you to buy your home at a discounted rate, although this discount is not as generous as the Right to Buy.

Being our tenant does not automatically give you the Right to Acquire your home. You must have been a public sector or armed forces tenant (or a combination of these) for at least:
  • two years if your tenancy started before 18th January 2005; or
  • Five years if your tenancy started on or after 18th January 2005.
Even if this is the case, you may not be able to acquire your property if:
  • the property is not your only or main home;
  • your property is not self- contained;
  • you live in sheltered housing where services are provided;
  • your home is one of a group of houses particularly suitable for elderly people and is let to a person aged 60 or over;
  • your home is designed or adapted for people with special needs;
  • your home is provided as part of your job; or
  • you live in a property in certain rural parishes identified by the Government.
The Right to Acquire is available on some properties that were built or bought using public money from public funds, or transferred by a local authority after 1st April 1997. For further information, please contact Right to Buy section on 08458 505600. There is also some guidance on the Housing Corporation website regarding this at the Housing Corporation Website.
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