Leasing or selling your property for affordable housing

Property purchase scheme

The scheme helps provide affordable housing by:

  • buying homes for social rent in communities with high housing need and limited supply
  • helping maintain or create sustainable communities
  • making good use of empty homes

Your property must meet these criteria:

  • the council has identified funding
  • the property is in sound condition, with main elements (roof, kitchen, bathroom, windows, doors and heating) having a reasonable life left
  • it can be purchased and brought up to our property and energy efficiency standards at a reasonable cost that represents value for money
  • there is strong evidence the property will meet an unmet housing need
  • no potential difficulties around managing and maintaining (for example, due to adjoining properties)
  • the seller has made their own arrangements for re-housing and, if tenanted, no tenants should be required to leave

In exceptional cases, this scheme may be used to unlock strategic regeneration or development projects. 

Funding is very limited. Only exceptional cases will be considered.

Page last modified: 14 January 2026