Right to buy

Important Information

By law most council tenants have the right to buy their council house or flat. To qualify for the right to buy you need to:

The information that you provide on the Right to Buy form will be used to process your request to purchase your home. If you would like further information on how we use your data please read our Privacy Notice.

When you buy a flat from West Lancashire Borough Council (WLBC) you buy a leasehold interest in your home. The council continues to own the freehold. For further details please contact the Leasehold and Service Charge Project Manager on 01695 585236.

Discounts

To find out how much discount you would be entitled to visit (external link)

PLEASE NOTE - Following the Government’s review of Right to Buy discounts, maximum cash discounts for the North West region is to be reduced to £26,000 as from 21st November 2024. All applications received on or after 21st November will be subject to the new discount structure.

If you are currently completing an application form, we would recommend that you hand deliver the application form and the additional information form before the 20th November 2024 to one of the Council's Customer Service Points:

52 Derby Street, Ormskirk, L39 2DF

The Concourse Shopping Centre, Southway, Skelmersdale , WN8 6LN before 20th November 2024.

Restrictions 

There are certain homes which the Council will not sell. These are:

  • Sheltered accommodation
  • Homes suitable for the elderly or especially adapted for the disabled
  • Temporary accommodation and dwellings, which have been leased from other landlords by the Council

Some tenants are not permitted to buy their home. These are:

  • Homeless people who have been given temporary accommodation
  • Employees of the council who have accommodation as part of their job e.g. caretakers, wardens
  • Tenants who have a possession order on their property 
  • Tenants who have an introductory tenancy

The cost floor rule 

New properties built by local authorities from 1 April 2012 fall under the cost floor rule which means that they cannot be sold during the first 15 years for less than the cost to build. 

Maintenance

If you buy your home you are responsible for all its maintenance. If you buy a flat we will continue to carry out certain maintenance tasks and will charge you an annual service charge. Your rights and obligations - and those of the Council - should be fully explained to you by your solicitor at the time of purchase.  

Service charges for flats and maisonettes are payable annually, it is important that you consider these on-going costs before committing to the purchase. 

Please note - As soon as you apply to buy your home you will not be entitled to routine repairs or improvements (except for work required by law and to keep it weather-tight). Your home will be excluded from any planned modernisation works such as new windows etc.

Selling your home

If you apply for the Right to Buy (from 18 January 2005) and then sell your home within one year of buying it, you will have to repay the entire percentage discount you received.
 
If you sell your home in the second year you will have to repay four fifths; if you sell in the third year you pay back three fifths. If you sell in the fourth year you will pay back two fifths and if you sell in the fifth year you pay back one fifth. After five years you won't have to pay back any of the discount. The amount of discount to be repaid will be a percentage of the re–sale value.

Insurance

The council operates a Home Contents Insurance scheme that all tenants and leaseholders are eligible to join. If you currently have a policy with this scheme you do not need to take any action as your policy will continue for as long as you make your payments.  

If you would like to take advantage of the  scheme please follow this link Tenants Home Contents Insurance Scheme to find out more information and to apply online or request a paper copy application form. 

Contact us 

Please get in touch to request a Right to Buy application pack or to find out more about home ownership. Contact details are in the contact panel on this page. 

Further information