Right to Buy sales jump 90% as buyers urged to act ahead of reforms
Data showed 14,275 council homes were sold under Right to Buy in England during 2025-26, a 90% increase on the previous year.
Sales of council homes under the Right to Buy scheme almost doubled in 2025-26, with more than two million properties now sold since the scheme was introduced in 1980, according to analysis from Moneyfactscompare.co.uk.
Data showed 14,275 council homes were sold under Right to Buy in England during 2025-26, a 90% increase on the previous year.
Local authorities received £1.61bn from eligible Right to Buy sales during the period, up 99.6% year-on-year.
The average receipt per property rose 5% to £112,900.
However, only 3,452 replacement homes were funded through Right to Buy receipts, down 7% compared with 2024-25.
Since the scheme was introduced in 1980, 2,052,813 homes have been sold to tenants.
Moneyfactscompare.co.uk also highlighted rising mortgage costs, with its average new mortgage rate increasing to 5.59% at the start of August from 5.47% a month earlier.
It estimated that a typical £250,000 mortgage over 25 years would now cost borrowers around £215 more per year in repayments.
Rachel Springall, finance expert at Moneyfactscompare.co.uk, said: “The short supply of affordable housing makes the Right to Buy scheme highly attractive for aspiring homeowners, giving them a chance to buy the home they already live in at a discounted price.
“There has been a significant rise in the number of council homes sold under Right to Buy in 2025-26, an increase of 90% compared with 2024-25.
“More than two million homes have now been sold under the scheme since it was launched in 1980 under the Housing Act, showing its popularity among those who perhaps could not afford a property for sale on the open market.
“However, the amount of homes sold under the scheme does create a dilemma for the wider housing market, as social housing stock needs to be replaced.”
Springall said proposed reforms to the Right to Buy scheme could encourage eligible tenants to purchase before changes come into force.
Under proposals in the Social Housing Bill, the minimum qualifying tenancy period would increase from three years to 10 years, while newly built social homes would be exempt from the scheme for 35 years and some rural homes would also be excluded.
She added: “The proposed changes to the Right to Buy scheme could cause a rush for tenants to buy their home in the months ahead, so seeking advice would be wise.
“A third reading of the bill is expected in September, so there is still time for tenants to start the process of buying their home if they are eligible under the Right to Buy rules.”
Springall added: “Those who have saved over recent years and are now finally ready to get a mortgage will be disappointed that mortgage rates have been climbing amid prolonged unrest in the Middle East, adding around £215 a year in mortgage repayments in just one month of volatility.
“Prospective buyers will be keen to see what might be revealed in the Autumn Budget which could help their homeownership dreams become reality.”
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