Right to Buy vs Right to Acquire: What’s the difference?

Right to Buy and Right to Acquire can both help some social housing tenants buy their rented home at a discount, but they are different schemes. Right to Buy is mainly for eligible council tenants. Right to Acquire may apply to some housing association tenants, while others may have Preserved Right to Buy because their home transferred from a council.

Your landlord must confirm which scheme, if any, applies.

Right to Buy vs Right to Acquire: the simple difference

Scheme	Usually applies to	Discount	Eligibility confirmed by
Right to Buy	Eligible council tenants	Regional cash limits apply	Council or landlord
Preserved Right to Buy	Some tenants whose home transferred from a council	Similar to Right to Buy	Housing association or landlord
Right to Acquire	Some housing association tenants	Usually a smaller fixed discount	Housing association or landlord

Your landlord, tenancy history and property all matter. Eligibility is not automatic.

What is Right to Buy?

Right to Buy may allow you as an eligible council tenant in England to buy your council home below its full market value.

The property normally needs to be your main or only home, be self-contained and be held under a secure tenancy. You will also usually need at least three years as a public-sector tenant. Your council must assess the application.

What is Preserved Right to Buy?

Most housing association tenants do not have standard Right to Buy. You may have Preserved Right to Buy if you were a secure council tenant and lived in the property when it transferred to a housing association.

For example, if your council transferred your home but you remained there, your right may have been preserved. Your landlord can confirm whether this applies.

What is Right to Acquire?

Right to Acquire may allow an eligible housing association tenant in England to purchase their rented home at a discount.

Both the tenant and property must qualify. The property generally needs to have been built, bought or transferred under the scheme’s rules, and the landlord must be registered with the Regulator of Social Housing.

The April 2026 GOV.UK guide says discounts are between £9,000 and £16,000, depending on location.

Which scheme might apply to you?

As a broad guide:

• Council tenant: Right to Buy may apply.
• Housing association tenant who lived in the home when it transferred from a council: Preserved Right to Buy may apply.
• Other housing association tenant: Right to Acquire may be worth checking.

Your landlord must check the full circumstances, including the property and tenancy history.

How do the discounts compare?

Right to Buy discounts can depend on the property type and how long you have been a public-sector tenant, but a regional maximum cash limit also applies.

For eligible applications received from 21 November 2024 onwards, current maximum Right to Buy cash discounts range from £16,000 to £38,000, depending on the region. Earlier applications may have been assessed under the previous, higher limits.

Right to Acquire offers a fixed cash discount of £9,000 to £16,000, based on location.

Discount rules can change, so check current official guidance and ask your landlord to confirm the amount.

Can you get a mortgage with either scheme?

Qualifying for a scheme does not guarantee mortgage approval. A lender will still assess whether the loan is affordable and whether the property is acceptable security.

It may consider:

• Income and spending
• Loans and other debts
• Your credit score and history
• Age and mortgage term
• Property type, value and discounted price
• How its criteria treat the discount

A mortgage with adverse credit may still be possible, but missed payments or defaults can reduce your options. Getting a self-employed mortgage may involve extra checks on how your income is calculated.

Can the discount be used as a deposit?

Some lenders may accept the Right to Buy discount as some or all of the equity normally provided by a cash deposit. Others may require your own money, depending on the mortgage and their limits.

Treatment of a Right-to-Acquire mortgage can also vary. Neither scheme guarantees a no-deposit mortgage, and published lender criteria show that providers approach discounted purchases differently.

If Right to Buy applies, our Right-to-Buy mortgage calculator can give you a rough estimate of how the discount affects the figures. It is mainly designed around Right-to-Buy calculations.

Why property type can matter

Some lenders may be cautious about certain high-rise flats, non-traditional construction, short leases or homes with limited resale demand.

The lender and its valuer must still be satisfied with its construction, condition and marketability.

When should you speak to a mortgage broker?

It may help to speak to a broker after your landlord confirms the scheme, or once you receive a valuation and formal offer.

A broker can assess affordability, credit history, property type and how lenders may treat the discount. If you want to see whether it’s possible to buy your council home, Monday Mortgages can help through its Right-to-Buy mortgage advice service.