• Our offices will be closed for the Easter weekend from 5pm on Thursday 28th March until we reopen at 8am on Tuesday 2nd April. You will still be able to get in touch through 'My Account' or our emergency out of hours service. We hope you have a lovely Easter!

Are you looking to apply for Right to Acquire (RTA)?

The discount to purchase your home under Right To Acquire is a fixed rate of £9000 which is set by the Government which is not related to tenancy years.

You may have the Right To Aquire if you:

  • Are an assured tenant and have held a tenancy for a three year continuous period

  • Live in a property that was built or acquired with public funds from 01 April 1997 onwards

  • Live in a property that was transferred from a council to a housing association after 1st February 2000

How do I sort an application?

Please contact Aspire Housing to request an application pack and to discuss in more detail the requirements needed to support each application.

Please be advised, we do not accept any applications through the post or hand-delivered as they will be returned as not followed the correct application process.

 

You do not have the RTA if:

  • the courts have issued a possession order for you to leave your home

  • you are undergoing bankruptcy proceedings

  • you live in housing specially provided for older people or (in certain cases) disabled people

  • you have the Right to Buy

  • your property is located in certain rural parishes

N.B This is not a definite list and other property exclusions may apply.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find out what my property is worth?

Check Zoopla and Rightmove for recently sold properties in your area.

How long will it take for my application to be processed?

Initially, we have 4 weeks to process your application.  Throughout the process, we’ll let you know at each stage what the timescales are to complete to help with the purchasing of your property.

How much discount will I receive?

Each scheme uses different calculations for purchasing your property - please use the Right to Buy calculator (https://righttobuy.gov.uk/can-i-afford-it/) or the Right to Acquire discount sheet (https://www.gov.uk/right-to-acquire-buying-housing-association-home/discounts)

If I buy my flat, do I still need to pay service charges for this and what does this cover?

You will still need to continue to pay service charges to your landlord if you buy your flat or maisonette. Service charges are what you have to pay towards repairs, maintenance, major building works such as re-roofing and services provided for the upkeep of communal areas shared by other residents and management costs. They can be quite substantial, particularly in large blocks of flats.

It is important you study the offer notice carefully as this will tell you the likely costs you will be asked to pay.

Can my family members purchase with me?

Up to 3 family members can purchase alongside a tenant if they have resided in the property for the last 12 months and it is their main home.  Proof of residency will be required.

How should I provide a signature?

All application forms must be submitted with a handwritten signature from all applicants. If an application is submitted with an electronic signature, you will be asked to resign the relevant page and resubmit causing delay to the processing of your application.

How To Apply 

Please contact us if you wish to request an application form or request a call back to complete the form. If you are able to apply, we will send out an application pack for you to complete.

Please note, you will not be able to apply if you have rent arrears.

Once you have completed and signed the application form, and collated the required supporting documents, you can send this to us in two ways. Either; 

  • By Email to RTBandRTA@aspirehousing.co.uk or; 

  • By post to our Kingsley Offices, The Brampton, Newcastle, Staffordshire, ST5 0QW marked for the attention of Linda Morgan, Property Law Co-ordinator

We recommend that applications are sent via email where possible which will result in them being processed more efficiently.  

What Happens Next? 

Once your application is submitted with all the required supporting documents, we will acknowledge receipt within five working days. Within 4 weeks, you can then expect to receive a form, which informs you if you have the Right to Aquire. 

Please tell us if any mortgage offer has an expiry date so that we can avoid any problems. 

The average length of time that it takes to purchase a property from when we receive your application is 8 months for a house and 10 months for a flat. 

 

Please be aware:  

  • We can’t accept application forms if we receive part verification and they will be returned. 
  • We will begin to process your application as soon as we have received all supported documents.   
  • Your rent account needs to be kept up to date at all times, throughout this process  
  • We only require copies of ID, please do not send us originals 

 

Think twice before getting advice from any agency that asks you for money to help you. They may be asking you to pay for advice you could just as easily get free of charge from one of the resources on our useful contacts.