Right to Acquire FAQ's

You may appeal against the valuation within 3 months of receipt of the offer notice. The appeal is sent to the District Valuer who will revalue your home. If the valuation is different then we will send you a revised offer.

You will have to accept the District Valuers valuation even if it is higher than ours.

Not all joint tenants need to exercise their RTA. The property can be purchased by one of the tenants provided the other tenant agrees.

A tenant claiming RTA may include up to 3 members of the family provided they live with you and have been at your address for 12 months before you made the claim.

Gateway may in some circumstances and at their absolute discretion, allow family members to be included in the purchase where they have not been residing with the tenant for the full 12 month period.

If you think that you qualify for the scheme you should contact Gateway to claim the Right to Acquire.

We will send you an application form known as an RTA1 form, which you should complete and then sign and date it and send it back to us. If you are a joint tenant the other tenant must also sign the form.

We will advise you within 4 weeks of receiving your application whether you are eligible to buy your home. If you cannot buy your home we will tell you why.

When we have confirmed your right to acquire your home we will send you an offer notice known as an RTA3 Notice, which will tell you the price you have to pay and the terms and conditions of the sale. We will send this to you within 12 weeks if your home is a flat or maisonette or 8 weeks if your home is a house.

The discount for the scheme is fixed by the government and currently range form 9,000 to 16,000. The maximum amount of discount for properties in Tower Hamlets is £16,000 and may be subject to change in the future. Gateway will advise you of the discount at the time of your application.

If you sell the property within the first 5 years from the date of purchase you will be required to repay some or the entire discount as shown below.

• If sold within a year. 100%
• Within 2 years. 80%
• Within 3 years. 60%
• Within 4 years. 40%
• Within 5 years. 20%
• No repayment is required after 5 years.

Secure or assured tenants living in a qualifying property that was built or purchased by Gateway on or after 1 April 1997 using social housing grant provided by the Government or Local Authority.

As well as occupying a qualifying property the tenant must also:

• Have spent a total of 5 years as a public sector tenant and
• Live in a house or flat which is self contained property and is your  only or main home.

Some properties are however excluded from the scheme.

• Properties built or purchased with public funds before 1 April 1997;
• Properties where the landlord has insufficient legal interest, i.e. where the property is a house, a lease with a term less than 21 years and for a flat, a lease with a term less than 50 years;
• Properties let in connection with employment;
• Properties designed with special features for letting to people with physical disabilities and
• Special needs and sheltered accommodation.

There are also some circumstances in which you will not be allowed to buy your home such as if you are:

• An un-discharged bankrupt, or have a bankruptcy petition pending against you;
• The subject of a possession order served by the court and
• Subject to a formal creditors agreement made under the Insolvency Acts.