About
Shared
Ownership

Shared Ownership allows you to buy a share of your home, paying a subsidised monthly rent on the remaining share

How it works

Shared Ownership is a government-backed scheme that helps people get on the property ladder.

You start by buying just a share of your home. The size of that share is tailored to suit you. It can be from just 10% but is usually between 25% and 75%.

You typically only need a 5% deposit – and only on the share you buy. Starting smaller also means it’s more straightforward to get a mortgage approved.

You can buy more shares of your home at any time in the future, working towards owning your home outright.

This 3 minute video explains how Shared Ownership works:

For example...

Let's say you buy a 25% share of a flat worth £300,000 - your share costs £75,000. You would need:

a deposit of 5% of £75,000 – that’s £3,750
a mortgage of £71,250 (£75,000 minus the deposit of £3,750) - approx £405 per month

You will also pay:

a monthly rent on the remaining 75% share of the property - approx £615
a monthly service charge for the upkeep of communal areas - approx £120
the usual costs of running a home such as council tax, water, electricity, gas, insurance, etc.

More about Shared Ownership costs

Eligibility criteria

You can buy a Shared Ownership home if:

you are at least 18 years old and a permanent UK resident
you do not own (or part-own) a property at the time of completing on your purchase
your household income before tax is less than £80,000 a year (or less than £90,000 a year in London)
you fulfil our affordability criteria, ensuring that you can afford to live in your Shared Ownership home. You'll meet with a financial advisor as part of the application process, to confirm this.
you can afford the deposit and other one-off costs

Some local authorities give priority to people who live and work in the area and other groups - see the property listing for more information.

How to apply

To apply for Shared Ownership, create a SO Resi account and fill out our application form.

We’ll let you know whether or not you're eligible within around 7 days.

More about how to apply

Buying more shares

You can buy more shares of your home at any time, from a minimum of 5%, working towards owning your home outright.

More about buying more shares

Buy 1% more a year

If your home was built after 2020, you may be able to buy an extra 1% share each year, for the first 15 years of ownership.

More about buying a 1% share

Selling your home

You can sell your home at any time. Our dedicated sales team will be on hand to guide you through the process, and you can manage the progress of your sale through your SO Resi account.

More about selling your home