Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update (published 1 Dec 2015)

Sales of Local Authority Dwellings to Sitting Tenants (Right to Buy)

Most sales of local authority housing to tenants are sales under Right to Buy although a small number cover other sales such as voluntary sales by local authorities to sitting tenants.

Chart 13: Local Authority Sales to Sitting Tenants: Quarterly applications and sales, 2004 onwards

In July 2013 the Scottish Government announced that the Right to Buy was to end for all tenants. Immediately following this announcement the number of applications and the number of sales both increased (by 39% and 44% respectively) compared to the previous quarter.

The most recent figures available are for April to June 2015. During this period there were 1,099 Right to Buy applications (25% higher than in the same quarter the previous year, and 57% higher than in the same quarter in 2013) and 320 sales (5% lower than in the same quarter in the previous year, but 40% higher than in the same quarter in 2013).

Throughout the year to end June 2015 there were 1,537 sales to sitting tenants, 10% more than in the previous year and 3,786 applications which is 16% more than the previous year.