Housing statistics quarterly update: September 2017

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.

In July 2013 the Scottish Government announced that the Right to Buy scheme was to end for all tenants. Immediately following this announcement the number of applications and the number of sales between July and September 2013 both increased (by 39% and 44%, respectively) compared to the previous quarter. The increases were higher than in the same quarter of 2012, where the number of applications and the number of sales increased by 5% and 7%, respectively.

Chart 13: Local Authority Sales to Sitting Tenants, Quarterly Applications and Sales, 2006 onwards

Note: The Right to Buy scheme closed to all new applicants on 31 July 2016, therefore application figures for 2016 Q3 (July - September) relate to applications for the single month of July 2016 only and there are no applications in subsequent quarters. Sales figures can occur in a period later than that in which the application was made.

The Right to Buy scheme subsequently closed to all new applicants on 31 July 2016, therefore there have been no Right to Buy applications made during the last two quarters (October 2016 to March 2017). Throughout the year to end September 2016 there were 9,060 applications made, more than double the 3,890 applications made in the year to end September 2015.

Right to Buy sales can occur in a period later than that in which the application was made. In the latest quarter, January to March 2017, there were 971 Right to Buy sales, almost double the 507 sales in the same quarter in the previous year. Throughout the year to end March 2017 there were 2,994 sales, 73% more than the 1,735 sales in the year to end March 2016.