Right to buy

The following information applies to former tenants of Wycombe District Council whose homes were transferred to Red Kite Community Housing (Red Kite) on 12 December 2011. Those tenants have a preserved right to buy their homes from their new landlord.

This scheme is, therefore, for Red Kite tenants who:

• want to buy the home they currently rent from Red Kite and
• would like to pay a price lower than market value

We provide a dedicated service for tenants who are considering buying their homes under current Right to Buy legislation.

Qualification

You need to have been a public sector tenant for five years or more. Spouses and other family members who are not tenants may be included in a Right to Buy application, subject to certain conditions.

Exceptions

You may not always have the right to buy if you live in sheltered accommodation. Other exceptions sometimes apply to ground floor flats and to bungalows. If you are not sure if the Right to Buy applies to you, or to the home you are living in, or wish to check your tenancy qualifying period, please contact our sales officer whose details are below.

Costs

We provide the service at no cost to tenants. If you decide to purchase your home, you will have to pay the usual costs and fees involved with any house purchase. These will include solicitors' fees, stamp duty, survey fees, removal charges and any costs levied by your mortgage provider.

Discount available

This depends on the length of your tenancy and the valuation of your home. Discount starts at 35% (50% if a flat) of your home’s valuation for five years' tenancy, increasing to 36% (52% if a flat) for six years' tenancy and so on. The maximum percentage discount is 60%, or 70% if a flat.

With effect from 2nd April 2012, the maximum monetary discount for any home in the Wycombe district is £75,000.

Mortgages

We do not provide mortgages. You will need to obtain your mortgage from a reputable mortgage lender.

How to apply

Please call us and ask for an information pack. You may also collect the pack in person from our High Wycombe office.

Right to Acquire

This scheme is for people who became new tenants of Red Kite on or after 12 December 2011 and who were not tenants of Wycombe District Council immediately prior to this date.

The information shown above relating to qualification, exceptions and costs is the same for the Right to Acquire as for the Right to Buy.

Discount arrangements are different. The government has published set levels of discount for the Right to Acquire scheme and, for the Wycombe District, the set discount amount is £13500.