Buying your Council house in Clackmannanshire

The 1987 Housing (Scotland) Act extends tenants Right to Buy their Council homes. As a result of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, substantial changes were made to the Right to Buy. These changes came into force on 30th September, 2002 but the rights of tenants remaining in their existing homes are unaffected.

Are there cases where I would not be allowed to buy?

Certain categories of dwellings are excluded from the Right to Buy:

shared housing
homes specially designed or adapted for the needs of the elderly or disabled houses on which the Council has a long lease.
if you have arrears of rent, council tax, water and sewerage charges, or other amounts owing as a result of your current or previous tenancy, or if your landlord is in the process of evicting you on conduct grounds.

Where can I get money to buy?

You can borrow or get a mortgage from Banks, Building Societies, Finance companies.

Building Society rates and Solicitors' fees can vary. It is in your interest to obtain quotations and estimates.

The Council recommends that you always get independent legal and financial advice before signing any documents. Resist doorstep pressure. The decision to buy your home should not be made without careful thought.

Will it be cheaper to buy my house than rent?

As a tenant you pay rent. When working out the comparison of costs as a homeowner, remember the Council Tax is separate. You will have to budget for the cost of repairs and maintenance and allow a sum for any improvement you may want.

If I want to buy my house what stages do I have to go through?

Complete an application form detailing your interest in purchasing your home.
A check will be made and if there are arrears of rent or council tax or where a notice of proceedings for recovery of possession the application will be refused.
The Council will acknowledge having received your application. The sales procedure will be started and only essential repairs will be carried out by the Council.
The District Valuer is asked to set a Market Value for the property.
A House Sales Officer will visit you and your immediate neighbours to discuss the boundary plans.
The Council's Legal Services will conclude the sale in the following steps:
1. A Formal Offer is issued detailing the purchase price, amount of discount and valuation. The date of entry is also given in the Formal Offer.
2. The receipt of the Formal Offer acknowledged within seven days.
3. It is strongly advised that you should, on receipt of the formal offer, consult a Solicitor to conclude the formal bargain and act on your behalf in dealing with the conveyancing.

All applicants please note

Prior to submitting your application to buy please check all accounts, such as rent, Council Tax, rechargeable repairs and legal expenses are clear and you have no monies owed to the Council.

This also applies to tenants who pay their rent by monthly direct debit. Please be aware that unless your account is paid in advance you will technically be in arrears and this may result in your application being refused. You are strongly advised to contact the Income Control Team on 08450 557 070 (choose option 3) prior to submitting your application to check your rent balance.

What discount do I get?

Right to Buy Entitlement
	RTB entitlement commenced before 30/09/2002		RTB entitlement commenced after 30/09/2002 (Discount is subject to a maximum of £15,000)
Years spent as tenant	Houses %	Flats %	All properties %
2 - 4	32-34	44-48	Cannot buy
5 - 9	35-39	50-58	20-24
10 - 14	40-44	60-68	25-29
15 - 19	45-49	70	30-34
20 - 24	50-54	70	35
25 - 29	55-59	70	35
30 and over	60	70	35