Affordable homes to rent and buy

Help to Buy: Shared Ownership

If you’re working and some money for a deposit, you could consider Shared Ownership. This is sometimes called ‘part-buy part-rent’.

Shared Ownership means you can buy a 25 to 75 per cent share of a home from a housing association. You then pay rent on the value of the remaining percentage. Rent is capped at a maximum 3 per cent of the value of the share that the housing association still owns. This means you can take your first step towards home ownership with a smaller deposit than if you bought a home outright.

When you can afford to, you can buy more shares until you own 100 per cent of your home.

The Help to Buy website includes Shared Ownership information on:

• eligibility
• people with disabilities
• older people
• how to buy

Right to Buy

If you’re a council housing tenant, you may have the right to buy your home. Find out more on our Right to Buy page.

Help to Buy: Equity Loan

If you have enough money for a five per cent deposit, you could consider Help to Buy: Equity Loan. This is where the government lends you up to 20 per cent (or up to 40 per cent in Greater London) of the cost of your newly-built home. You won’t be charged loan fees on this government loan for the first five years.

Help to Buy: ISA

When you’re saving to buy your first home with a Help to Buy: ISA, the government will boost your savings by giving you a bonus. So the more you save, the bigger bonus you get.