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Step 1 How to apply

This section aims to take you through each stage of the process of buying your home.

Step 1 - Applying to buy

Start by asking your landlord for the Right to Buy claim form (Form RTB1). Your landlord must give you one for free if you ask. (Be wary of other people offering you forms, especially if they ask you to pay them for this.) If you have trouble getting a form, contact the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister or the Welsh Assembly Government at the useful addresses listed.

Fill the form in carefully. It is used to decide:

  • whether you have the Right to Buy; and
  • how much discount you will get.

When you have filled in the form, return it to your landlord. Because the form is an important legal document, it is a good idea to use recorded delivery or to deliver it by hand and get a receipt, otherwise you may be unable to prove that your landlord has received the form. You should keep a copy of the completed form for yourself.

Next page: Step 2 Landlord's Response Notice >>


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

Council House Right To Buy Mortgages

If you have rented your council house or flat for a few years you may have heard about the right to buy scheme. Your local council will give you a discount on the property you wish to buy in order to make it easier to afford.

To find out if you qualify for this discount just speak to your council, housing authority or registered landlord (whichever is applicable). If you are eligible for the scheme, the property you live in will be subject to a valuation and you will be told its Open Market Value (or OMV for short) and the level of discount you are entitled. This will let you know how much you'll need to borrow from a mortgage broker. It is worth going tp a specialised RTB mortgage dealer who will be in a position to offer you their best deal. This could either be a mortgage on the discounted cost of your house or its full market value (FMV). For example, Mr F. Owen from Tadley got a 30% discount on his council house.