Right to Buy sales in England increased by 90% during 2025-26 as prospective buyers moved ahead of proposed reforms to the scheme.
Local authorities reported 14,275 sales during the year, compared with around 7,500 in 2024-25, according to analysis from Moneyfactscompare.co.uk.
Councils received £1.61bn from eligible sales, an annual increase of 99.6%, while the average receipt per home rose by 5% to £112,900.
However, just 3,452 replacement homes were funded through Right to Buy receipts during the year, 7% fewer than in 2024-25. More than two million council properties have now been sold to tenants since the scheme began in 1980.
REFORMS COULD PROMPT FURTHER RUSH
Proposed reforms contained in the Social Housing Bill would increase the qualifying tenancy period from three years to 10 years.
The plans would also protect newly built social housing from Right to Buy for 35 years, exclude some hard-to-replace rural properties and amend the discounts available against market value.
With the bill expected to receive its third reading in September, Moneyfacts said eligible tenants could seek advice before the rules change.
Rachel Springall, finance expert at Moneyfactscompare.co.uk, said: “The short supply of affordable housing makes the Right to Buy scheme highly attractive for aspiring homeowners, giving them a chance to buy the home they already live in at a discounted price.
“However, the amount of homes sold under the scheme does create a dilemma for the wider housing market, as social housing stock needs to be replaced.”
RISING RATES ADD TO COST
Prospective buyers also face higher borrowing costs, with the Moneyfacts Average New Mortgage Rate rising from 5.47% at the beginning of July to 5.59% at the start of August.
Moneyfacts calculated that the increase would add approximately £215 a year to repayments on a typical £250,000 mortgage taken over 25 years.
Springall added: “The proposed changes to the Right to Buy scheme could cause a rush for tenants to buy their home in the months ahead, so seeking advice would be wise.
“Those who have saved over recent years and are now finally ready to get a mortgage will be disappointed that mortgage rates have been climbing amid prolonged unrest in the Middle East.”
