What documents do you need for a Right-to-Buy mortgage?

For a Right to Buy mortgage, you’ll commonly need your council’s offer paperwork, proof of identity and income, bank statements, and evidence of any money you’re contributing. The exact documents depend on the lender and your circumstances.

Your council or landlord checks your Right to Buy eligibility and sets out the sale terms. The lender separately assesses your borrowing. This guide covers Right to Buy in England and the documents to prepare.

Your Right to Buy mortgage document checklist

This preparation checklist isn’t a universal submission list. Some items arrive as the purchase progresses.

Document or information	Who supplies it	What it supports
RTB1 copy and landlord correspondence	You and your landlord	Record of your scheme application
RTB2 response, where issued	Your landlord	The decision about your eligibility
Section 125 offer notice and attachments	Your landlord	Purchase price, discount and property terms
Identity and address evidence	Each applicant	Verification of who you are and where you live
Income evidence	Employer, HMRC, accountant or income provider	Earnings used in the mortgage assessment
Bank statements and commitment details	You and your financial providers	Income receipts, spending and financial commitments
Cash contribution or gift evidence, where applicable	You and any donor	Source and terms of additional funds
Relevant lease or property information	Your landlord and conveyancer	Property and legal assessment

Ask your broker which Right to Buy mortgage documents the lender needs. Your landlord may have a different checklist.

Which documents come from your council or landlord?

The main scheme documents have different purposes:

• RTB1: Your application claiming the Right to Buy.
• RTB2: Your landlord’s response admitting or denying that right.
• Section 125 notice: The separate offer setting out the price and terms of the sale.

GOV.UK’s Right to Buy guide explains these stages. Keep a copy of your application, subsequent correspondence and the complete offer, including attachments.

Your landlord may also ask for tenancy history, identity or residence evidence and information about how you’re funding the purchase. Those requests relate to its checks and may differ from the mortgage lender’s requirements.

Why does the Section 125 notice matter for your mortgage?

The Section 125 notice helps establish what you’re buying and how much you’ll need to pay. According to GOV.UK’s guidance on the landlord’s offer, it includes the price, discount, property description and known structural problems. For a flat or maisonette, it also includes service-charge estimates for the first five years.

These details matter because your borrowing requirement depends on the confirmed purchase price and any cash contribution. Property information can also affect whether a lender will accept the home as security.

For example, an employed tenant might have payslips and statements ready while waiting for their council offer. They can discuss their mortgage position with a broker at that stage. The broker can identify what’s missing and confirm when the chosen lender will need it.

What identity and applicant evidence might you need?

Each mortgage applicant may need suitable identity and address evidence, such as a passport or driving licence and a recent bill or statement. Accepted documents and how recent they must be vary, so follow the lender’s instructions.

You may also need previous addresses or name-change evidence. Check that your details are consistent and explain any differences.

If family members are joining the Right to Buy purchase, the landlord may request separate evidence of their relationship and residence. Proof of a current address isn’t necessarily proof of residence over a qualifying period. A recent bill alone doesn’t establish a full residence history.

The government’s local authority guidance distinguishes spouses and civil partners from other family members. Ask the landlord which evidence applies to your situation rather than assuming every relationship has the same requirements.

What income and financial documents may the lender ask for?

The evidence should support the income you’re asking the lender to use and give an accurate picture of your commitments.

Employed applicants

Prepare recent payslips. Depending on the lender and your earnings, you may also need a P60, employment information or additional evidence of overtime, bonuses or commission.

There’s no universal rule that every applicant must supply three payslips and a P60. For example, Nationwide’s application proofs guidance distinguishes basic salary from variable income when setting its evidence requirements.

If overtime is needed to support the borrowing, we would check which evidence period the lender requires before relying on that income.

Self-employed applicants

You may need tax calculations and corresponding tax year overviews, accounts, contracts or accountant evidence, depending on your business structure and lender.

HMRC confirms that SA302 tax calculations and tax year overviews may be requested as mortgage income evidence. The documents needed for a self-employed mortgage depend on how you trade and which income the lender will assess.

Other income, statements and commitments

If pension, benefit or maintenance income is being used, the lender may request statements, award letters or other suitable evidence.

Bank statements may help show income arriving, spending and financial commitments. Provide accurate details of loans, credit cards, childcare and other continuing outgoings, including commitments that aren’t obvious from one account.

Under the FCA’s affordability rules, lenders assess income and expenditure rather than relying on property equity. Your Right to Buy discount doesn’t remove those checks.

What evidence do you need for your discount, savings or family gift?

Keep the three sources of funding separate:

• Your discount: The landlord’s confirmed offer records it. The discount reduces the purchase price; it isn’t cash paid into your bank account.
• Your savings: Statements and any further evidence requested can establish where your contribution came from.
• Family help: The lender and conveyancer may need evidence of the contribution’s source and terms, alongside donor information.

Even where a lender accepts your Right to Buy discount as a deposit, any additional cash contribution still needs to be explained. Acceptance of the discount depends on the lender and wider application.

For a family gift, a declaration may be needed confirming that the money doesn’t have to be repaid and that the donor won’t acquire an interest in the property. Halifax’s gifted-deposit guidance also explains checks on the donor and source of funds. Other lenders’ requirements can differ.

If the money must be repaid, disclose it as a loan. Don’t sign a gift declaration that contradicts the actual arrangement. We would want to understand those terms before deciding how to present the funding.

No separate cash deposit doesn’t mean no purchase costs. Budget for any legal, mortgage and other fees.

Which property documents are handled during the purchase?

Pass on property information you’ve received and flag known concerns. You don’t need every legal document before speaking to a broker.

For a leasehold home, the draft lease, lease term, service charges and major-works information can be relevant. The conveyancer checks the legal terms, while the lender assesses whether the property is acceptable security. We’d consider service charges alongside the proposed mortgage payment, rather than treating them as an afterthought.

Your lender’s valuation is different from an independent survey commissioned for you. The valuation supports the lending decision and isn’t a full report on the home’s condition.

How can you prepare your documents before applying?

Before submitting your pack:

• Ask your landlord and broker for their respective requirements.
• Keep the complete council offer and attachments together.
• Check names, addresses and dates across your documents.
• Supply all requested statement pages and the correct periods.
• Explain unusual credits, variable income and repayable family money.
• Refresh documents when requested and report changes in circumstances.
• Use the broker’s or lender’s agreed secure submission route.

Before submitting, we would check that the council paperwork, applicants and proposed funding describe the same purchase.

If you’re unsure which documents your lender is likely to need, help with your Right to Buy mortgage application can clarify what to prepare and what’s still outstanding.