Right to buy (buy your council home)

The Right to Buy scheme helps eligible council and housing association tenants in England buy their homes and gives tenants a discount on the open market.

How to complete the RTB1 form

Please read these instructions carefully before completing the RTB1 form. Incomplete, incorrect or unsigned forms may be returned to you and could delay the processing of your Right to Buy application.
Once you have submitted your application, you cannot add additional applicants at a later stage.
 

Part A: The property

Please ensure you provide the full address of the property you are applying to buy (including postcode) and the name of your landlord.

Part B: Tenant(s) and family members

Please ensure that all tenant(s) and any eligible family member(s) who wish to share the Right to Buy are included in Part B before you submit the form.

Who should be included in Part B?

  • Include all current tenant(s) named on the tenancy agreement, regardless of whether they wish to purchase the property.
  • Include eligible family members only if they wish to share the Right to Buy with you.
  • Do not include children or anyone under the age of 18. 

For every person listed in Part B:

  • Complete every box in the relevant row.
  • Enter their full legal name.
  • Complete the "Do they wish to buy?" column with either Yes (Y) or No (N)
  • Complete the "Only/main home?" column with either Yes (Y) or No (N).

If you are including family members:

  • Complete all additional columns

Part C: Qualifications and discount

Please complete all parts that apply to you.

Current Tenancy:

  • Complete all sections, including the property address, full name of each tenant and tenancy start date.
  • If you are unsure when the tenancy started, please refer to your tenancy agreement.
  • If you have ever been known by another name, tick "Yes" and provide full details of any previous legal names used.

Previous Tenancies:

  • Include details of all previous public sector tenancies that may count towards your Right to Buy discount.
  • Complete all boxes for each tenancy.
  • Any tenancy not declared cannot be taken into account when calculating your discount.

Authority to disclose:

  • If you have listed any previous tenancies, you must sign the Authority to Disclose section so we can verify your tenancy history with previous landlords.

Part D: Previous discount

If you have previously purchased a property under the Right to Buy scheme and received a discount, you must complete this section in full.

Part E: Tenants' improvements

Complete this section if you have made any improvements to the property. This helps ensure that any improvements carried out by a tenant are not taken into account when the property is valued for Right to Buy purposes.

Part F: Signatures

Please read each declaration carefully before signing.

There are separate declarations for:

  • tenants who wish to buy
  • tenants who do not wish to buy
  • family members joining the purchase.

Who should complete each declaration?

  • Tenants must only complete the declarations marked for tenants. Ensure you complete the correct declaration depending on whether you wish to buy the property.
  • Family members must only complete the declarations marked for family members. Family members must not complete the tenant declarations.

Please note:

  • All declarations must be hand signed and dated by the relevant person. Typed signatures and undated declarations cannot be accepted.
  • Every person named in Part B who is required to complete a declaration must sign and date their own section.
  • Failure to complete, sign or date the correct declaration may result in your application being treated as invalid.