Councils struggle with RTB scheme

Councils are struggling to replace houses sold through the right-to-buy (RTB) scheme, according to analysis of provisional figures from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) it would appear that just one home has been built for every nine sold through the right-to-buy scheme, this is not at all what was pledged by the Government for a like-to-like replacement of homes.

Only one in three councils have replaced a single house sold through the right to buy scheme data revealed, just one council in 12 which equates to 8% had managed to build enough to replace half their stock, and only two had succeeded in replacing more than 100% of those sold.

Local Government Association housing spokesman Peter Box reportedly said “There are millions of people on council waiting lists and local authorities are keen to get on with the job of building the new homes that people in their areas desperately need.

“Councils are restricted from replacing homes by complex rules and restrictions on the use of receipts from sales with almost two thirds of councils only expected to replace half or fewer of homes sold under the Right to Buy.

“It is imperative that councils are given the powers to replace housing sold through Right to Buy quickly and effectively as part of the Spending Review.

“Councils need to be able to retain 100% of receipts from sales while Right to Buy discounts should be set locally so they reflect the cost of houses in the area.”

 

 

 

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Breaking Property News 5/10/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X. Architect-founded KnowYourNest brings property scores into the home search, with a free 1–10 score and full KnowYourNest reports from £9.95 By Author Andrew Stanton CEO Proptech-PR NestLink today launches free NestScore checks and KnowYourNest property intelligence reports for buyers and homeowners across England and Wales.…
Read More →
Breaking News

Gap between house prices and earnings narrows

Gap between house prices and earnings narrows – but higher borrowing costs limit affordability gains UK’s house price to income ratio falls from 7.6 to 7.3, an 11-year low, as earnings continue to outpace house price growth For first-time buyers, homes now cost less than six times earnings, falling from 6.1 to 5.9 However, monthly…
Read More →
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

New Scheme Could Double Solo Buyer New-Build Options

Your First Home could more than double new-build options for solo first-time buyers The number of available new-build homes in England affordable to an average single first-time buyer could more than double (+114%) under the new Your First Home scheme The maximum purchase price affordable to an average solo buyer could increase by nearly £49,000,…
Read More →
Breaking News

Annual house price growth halves in September

UK annual house price growth halved to 0.8% in September, from 1.6% in August Northern Ireland remained best performing region, with prices up 5.9% year on year in Q3 2026 East Anglia weakest performing region, with annual decline of 0.7% Terraced properties were the strongest performing property type, with a 1.8% rise, whilst flats remained…
Read More →
Estate Agents should not all look the same
Estate Agent Talk

Homesellers say valuation appointment is key

Nearly nine in 10 home sellers say the valuation appointment is key when choosing an estate agent   The latest research from GetAgent.co.uk has revealed that the valuation appointment remains one of the most influential stages of the home selling journey, with almost nine in 10 sellers saying it played an important role when deciding which…
Read More →
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

London’s rental market bucks the national trend

New analysis from the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove reveals that rental demand in the capital is up 7% in September while Great Britain overall is 2% below last year Rental demand in London had been running around 7% below 2025 levels on average throughout 2026 until the end of August before moving into growth…
Read More →