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Right to Buy Calculator

Calculate your Right to Buy discount and purchase price for your council or housing association home. Find out how much discount you qualify for based on years as a tenant.

Last reviewed 15 August 2026Source: HMRC / Welsh Revenue / Revenue Scotland

Your details

Calculator inputs

Continue your plan

Useful next calculations

Related to this calculation

Rates & sources

SDLT/LTT/LBTT bands vary between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Use the appropriate calculator.

Source: HMRC / Welsh Revenue / Revenue Scotland — check the linked guidance and any live quote before acting.

When to use this calculator

  • Before buying, renting, refinancing or reviewing a property investment.
  • When you want to compare cash flow, tax, yield or ownership costs.
  • When you need a fast estimate before speaking to an agent, lender or adviser.
  • When you want to see how a rate or price change moves the result.

A realistic UK planning example

Use these sample inputs as a quick scenario test, then change one variable at a time to compare outcomes.

A realistic UK planning example
InputValue
Property Market Value (£)£250,000
Years as Public Sector Tenant25 years
Property TypeHouse

After entering these figures, review purchase price, discount amount and discount rate together rather than in isolation. Then rerun the tool with one input adjusted.

How to read your results

Purchase Price

The figure produced by this output for the inputs you entered. Change one variable at a time if you want to see what drives it.

Discount Amount

The figure produced by this output for the inputs you entered. Change one variable at a time if you want to see what drives it.

Discount Rate

The figure produced by this output for the inputs you entered. Change one variable at a time if you want to see what drives it.

Discount % of Value

The figure produced by this output for the inputs you entered. Change one variable at a time if you want to see what drives it.

Method & assumptionsAuthoritative sources

This calculator applies the Right to Buy discount rules for England as updated for 2026/27. For houses, the minimum qualifying tenancy is three years, with a starting discount of 35% rising by 1 percentage point for each complete year beyond three, subject to a maximum discount rate of 70% and a cash cap of £102,400. For flats and maisonettes, the discount begins at 50% after five qualifying years and climbs by 2 percentage points per additional year, subject to the same 70% rate ceiling and £102,400 cash cap. The calculator applies whichever limit — the percentage or the cash cap — produces the smaller discount, in line with government rules.

The resulting purchase price is the open market value minus the capped discount. This is the figure your mortgage lender will use as the agreed purchase price. Note that the cash cap is reviewed periodically and regional variations exist in London, where a higher cap of £136,400 applied in recent years; always confirm the current cap with your landlord or on GOV.UK before relying on these figures for a formal offer.

Common mistakes

  • !Comparing rent and ownership costs without including taxes, fees and maintenance.
  • !Using purchase price alone without testing financing or vacancy assumptions.
  • !Relying on yield or growth in isolation instead of reviewing the full property case.
  • !Using the wrong national transaction-tax calculator for the purchase location.

What to do next

  • Run a second scenario with a higher rate or lower rental yield.
  • Compare the result with a buy-versus-rent or mortgage calculator before making an offer.
  • Use the matching national transaction-tax calculator for the purchase location.
  • Note the key figures to share with your solicitor or lender.

Frequently asked

For houses, the discount starts at 35% after three years as a public sector tenant and rises by 1% for each additional year, up to a maximum of 70% or £102,400 — whichever is lower. For flats and maisonettes, the discount starts at 50% after five years and increases by 2% per additional year, subject to the same 70% or £102,400 cap. The capped cash figure is updated periodically by the government.

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