Easy Read Information about the end of being able to buy your home at a reduced cost

Transcription

1 Easy Read Information about the end of being able to buy your home at a reduced cost Information for council and housing association tenants This is an easy read version of Information about the end of Right to Buy & Right to Acquire in Wales. February 2018

2 How to use this document This is an easy read version. The words and their meaning are easy to read and understand. You may need support to read and understand this document. Ask someone you know to help you. Some words may be difficult to understand. These are in bold blue writing and have been explained in a box beneath the word. If any of the words are used later in the booklet they are shown in normal blue writing. If you see words in normal blue writing, you can look up what they mean in Hard words on page 16. To get more copies of this document contact your landlord. This document was made into easy read by Easy Read Wales using Photosymbols. Page 2

3 Contents Page How to use this document 2 What this guide is about 4 Buying your home 5 Buying a lease 7 Areas where you cannot buy your home 8 New Homes 9 Other ways to buy a home 9 Applying to buy your home 10 Advice about money and the law 12 Advice and information 14 Hard words 16 Page 3

4 What this guide is about People who live in a council house or a housing association house will not be able to buy their rented home after 26 January This guide tells you about the changes that will happen because of the new law. This guide tells you what you need to do if you want to buy your rented home before the law changes. Some areas have already stopped tenants from buying their home. Tenants living in those areas will not be able to buy their home at all. The areas are listed on page 8. A tenant is someone who rents their home. They pay their landlord every week or month. Your landlord owns the house you live in. You pay them rent. They must fix things when they go wrong. If you do not want to buy your home you will still be able to rent your home as a tenant. Nothing else changes. Page 4

5 Buying your home At the moment, some tenants can buy their rented home under a scheme called Right to Buy or Right to Acquire. These schemes give tenants a top discount of 8,000. These are government schemes. Council The Right to Buy is normally for tenants whose landlord is the Council. This is also known as the Local Authority. The Right to Acquire is for tenants whose landlord is a housing association. Housing association Housing Associations are also called Registered Social Landlords. The Right to Buy and Right to Acquire will end on 26 January Page 5

6 The changes in the law will not affect you being a tenant. If you want to buy your home, your landlord must be a public sector landlord. A public sector landlord means your home is owned by the Council, the NHS or a housing association. If you are thinking of buying your home you must have rented your home for 5 years or more. It does not have to be 5 years in a row. You may have rented from a public sector landlord in different homes or lived with your parents. You may also be able to count time when your partner was a tenant in a home owned by a public sector landlord. If your landlord is the Council you may have the right to buy your home. You may be able to buy it for less money than what it is worth. This could be up to 8,000 less. Page 6

7 Some homes were owned by the council and then owned by a housing association. You may still have the right to buy one of these if you are the tenant. This is called Preserved Right to Buy. You may be able to buy it for less money than what it is worth. This could be up to 8,000 less. Buying a lease If you live in a block of flats owned by a housing association and want to buy your flat, you will have to buy a lease instead. A lease means the building in which your flat is in is still owned by the landlord, but you own the flat and can live in it for a long time by paying a fee. The housing association will have to take care of the building and shared spaces. For example, this could be cleaning the stairs. Or putting lightbulbs in the shared spaces. Or doing repairs to the building. Page 7

8 You may have to pay towards the costs of building work. Some houses have a lease. Here you may have to pay money to the person who owns the land. Areas where you cannot buy your home You cannot buy your home if you live in these areas: Anglesey Cardiff Carmarthenshire Denbighshire Flintshire Swansea. This is because the Right to Buy and Right to Acquire have stopped. Page 8

9 New Homes The Right to Buy and Right to Acquire will end for some homes on 24 March These are: homes that have just been built or Sold homes that have just been bought by the landlord. But, if you had no choice but to move into one of these homes you might still be able to buy it. Other ways to buy a home There may be more help available to buy your home. Ask your landlord. This website will give you more information: housing-supply/buying-and-selling/help-forbuying/?skip=1&lang=en Page 9

10 Applying to buy your home Let your landlord know you want to buy your home. Fill out the application form. You can ask your landlord for the form. Make sure the application is filled in completely. If you do not understand the application form you can ask your landlord for help. Or ask a family member or friend to help you. You must give your application to your landlord by 25 January Make sure the landlord gets the application in time. Page 10

11 If you post the application form it is best to get proof from the Post Office that you have sent it. If you hand it in to the landlord ask them to give you a receipt. If you are behind with your rent or your council tax your landlord may not let you buy your home. If your home is meant for older people the landlord may not let you buy it. Page 11

12 Advice about money and the law Buying a home needs a lot of thought. There are a lot of costs. These may be: the price of the home legal costs Tax tax Tax is money that must be paid to the government or your council. Page 12

13 Then the costs after you buy it. These may be: Mortgage mortgage A Mortgage is money from a bank or building society that they lend you. You pay back an amount every month plus interest. council tax heating, lighting and water bills insurance Insurance is when a company agrees to cover the loss or breakage of items in return for a fee. keeping your home in good condition. Page 13

14 Advice and information It is best to get advice about buying your home. Your landlord can help you. They can give you an application form. Your local Citizens Advice Bureau can help you. Their website is: The Money Advice Service can help you. Their phone number is: Their website is: en/categories/buying-a-home You may need to get legal advice. There is a booklet to help you called Your Right to Buy Your Home. It can be found at this website: housing-supply/buying-and-selling/councilhouse/?skip=1&lang=en Page 14

15 More information about the Right to Acquire can be found at this website: housing-supply/buying-and-selling/your-registeredsocial-landlord-house/?skip=1&lang=en To get copies of the information booklets you can also Or write to: Right to Buy / Right to Acquire Housing Policy Division / Homes and Places Division Welsh Government Rhydycar Merthyr Tydfil CF48 1UZ Or phone: about Right to Buy about Right to Acquire Page 15

16 Hard words Insurance Insurance is when a company agrees to cover the loss or breakage of items in return for a fee. Landlord Your landlord owns the house you live in. You pay them rent. They must fix things when they go wrong. Lease A lease means the building in which your flat is in is still owned by the landlord, but you own the flat and can live in it for a long time by paying a fee. Mortgage A Mortgage is money from a bank or building society that they lend you. You pay back an amount every month plus interest. Public sector landlord A public sector landlord means your home is owned by the Council, the NHS or a housing association. Tax Tax is money that must be paid to the government or your council. Tenant A tenant is someone who rents their home. They pay their landlord every week or month. Page 16