Thinking of buying your council home?
If you are a secure tenant of a local authority, a registered social landlord such as a housing association (that is not a charity) or a housing action trust, you may have the legal right to buy your home under the Housing Act 1985.
Sheffield City Council's Home Ownership Team deals with all Right to Buy sales of council homes in Sheffield.
The following information is intended for Sheffield City Council tenants only, and is not a complete and authoritative statement of the law. Tenants of other councils or housing associations are advised to contact their own landlord for details of the Right to Buy in their area.
The booklets 'Helping you through the Right to Buy, your questions answered' and 'Buying Your Council Home Customer Charter' are both available in large print, Braille and on audio tape. These can also be made available in Arabic, Bengali, Urdu, Chinese and Somali.
For copies in these formats please contact the Home Ownership Team on 0114 273 5595.
Think about the costs involved
Owning your own home can be expensive, and only you can know if buying your own home would be the right decision for you. If you want more advice, you can contact the Council, a Citizen's Advice Bureau or a solicitor – though a solicitor may make a charge for this. Use this link to find out more information about purchase and home ownership costs (new window).
Flats and maisonettes
These cannot be sold freehold but the long-term lease can be bought for a fixed period (usually 125 years) with an annual ground rent of £10.
Leaseholders must pay Service Charges (new window) for the upkeep of the structure and communal areas of the building. As well as major repairs and improvements, Service Charges also cover things like staircase lighting, caretaking, decorating, lift maintenance, door entry systems, etc.
If you decide to buy your flat or maisonette the Council will give you an estimate of what the annual Service Charges will be for the first 5 years of your lease.
Beware of Right to Buy sellers
Sheffield City Council tenants have been contacted by companies offering to help them buy their council house, flat or maisonette. They may offer a mortgage, legal services or an "all-in" package that may include improvements to their home after purchase.
The Government and Sheffield City Council are concerned that tenants who take up these offers may be talked into financial deals and commitments that they had not bargained for and cannot afford. At the very least, they may be paying hundreds or even thousands of pounds for some services that they are entitled to free from the Council under the Right to Buy rules.
Be very wary also of anyone who tries to tell you that the Right to Buy scheme is going to end. The Government has made it clear that the scheme is NOT about to end.
Our advice to Sheffield City Council tenants who are thinking of buying their council house is to contact the Housing Services Home Ownership Team on 0114 2735595.