Buying a Portsmouth Homes property

On this page you will find information for Portsmouth Homes tenants about buying your property.

The Right to Buy scheme is a scheme which the Government offers to help eligible Portsmouth Homes tenants purchase their home at a discounted price.

To qualify you must meet one of the following criteria:

• spent at least 3 years as a tenant of Portsmouth City Council
• spent at least 3 years as a tenant of another council or housing association
• lived in armed forces accommodation

For information about property exchange, visit the exchanging a council property page.

Eligibility criteria include (but is not limited to):

• you have no legal issues with debt
• you have no outstanding possession orders
• the property is your only or main home
• your home is not due to be demolished

Certain council owned properties do not fall under the Right to Buy scheme as they may provide support and services to other tenants. These include (but are not limited to):

• specialist housing for the elderly or disabled people
• a property that you have in connection with your job
• a property for which you don’t have a secure tenancy (for example, an introductory or demoted tenancy)

You could get a discount on the market value of your home if you qualify for Right to Buy. The discount is based on:

• how long you’ve been a tenant with a public sector landlord
• the type of property you’re buying
• the value of your home

Your discount might be reduced under the cost floor rules. This applies where we have spent money building, buying or maintaining your home in the 30 years before we get your Right to Buy application (RTB1), regardless of when the property was built or acquired.

If these costs are higher than the discounted value of your home, your discount will be reduced or removed so the sale price is not lower than our costs.

As discounts are specific to each property, please contact the Leasehold Services team to discuss your individual circumstances.

For advice about Right to Buy and to help you understand the process and next steps, email the leasehold services team at leaseholder@portsmouthcc.gov.uk with your name, address and contact details.