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Other booklets you may need

There are two other free booklets that may help you.
Before you apply to buy a flat it is strongly recommended that you read our booklets Residential Long leaseholders - A guide to your rights and responsibilities and Thinking of buying a council flat?.

If you have already bought a flat and are disputing the service charges, Chapter 7 of Residential Long Leaseholds - A guide to your rights and responsibilities may help.

You can get these booklets free from your landlord, from a Citizens Advice Bureau or housing advice centre, or from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister or the Welsh Assembly Government (see .

This guide is adapted from Your Right To Buy Your Home, © Crown Copyright 2005; Amended Reprint March 2006. Posted on this site September 2008.

About The Mortgage

Many people live in homes rented from the local council (for instance East Renfrewshire Council). Since the 1980s, council tenants were able to buy their own homes under the Right to Buy Scheme. This involves applying for a mortgage, a large loan given to someone in order to purchase a property, and which is then paid back every month over a number of years. The mortgage amount you decide to apply for depends on what the house is worth and what level of discount the council are willing to offer you. You'll need to be eligible to buy your property, and have your mortgage app accepted before you can finally buy your own home. Paying back a mortgage will take years, and the majority are set up over a twenty-five year repayment term. You should contact a specialist mortgage broker who will be able to help you all the way with the buying process and mortgage app.