Community right to buy: review

Closes 5 Oct 2025

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Option agreements

Option agreements are legal agreements that are in place between the owner of the asset that is subject to an application under a right to buy and third-party.

If such an agreement is in place, any application under right to buy must be declined as the legal agreement cannot be interfered with.  The existence of such option agreements is not a matter of public record and so is not readily known by community groups in advance of making an application.

14. Should the existence of option agreements (although not their details) be something that an asset owner must make known to community groups that have applied for a right to buy the asset?
15. Rather than automatically requiring that an application is declined, should an application for a right to buy proceed through assessment, and then, if approved, take second place to the option agreement, meaning that if the option is not taken up, then the community body right to buy will apply?
16. Should there be a limitation on the types of option agreement that cause an application to be declined? For example, should they only be relevant if not between members of the same family, or companies within the same group?