Right to Buy sales fall during pandemic

The number of council homes sold off under the Right to Buy has fallen by 40% during the pandemic, according to the latest set of government figures.

Figures released by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government show 1,525 homes were sold off under the scheme between October and December last year.

This represents a fall 40% from the 2,545 sold in the same time period in 2019, which ‘may be due in large part to the restrictions introduced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic’.

Sales were also 67% below those in the first quarter of 2006/07. However, the number of sales was over double that in the fourth quarter of 2011-12.

According to the government, councils received £143m from the sales of Right to Buy properties in the last three months of 2020, 36% lower than the £224 million received in the same quarter of 2019-20.

The average receipt per dwelling was £93,958

And the number of properties started or bought by local authorities, using recycled Right to Buy receipts, was 1,685.

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