If you are buying a former Council House it may have restrictions that limits who can buy the property.
It will also be subject to other restrictive covenants. This means you have to ask the Council’s permission to do or not to do certain things with the property or the land.
You will need to understand any restrictions that apply as this will affect your decision to buy it.
Our Post Right to Buy Policy sets out the action we will take should there be a breach of covenant. It also sets out our approach to dealing with restrictive covenants.
In certain protected rural areas, you will need to meet criteria if you want to buy a Former Council Home. You need to have lived or worked in Cornwall for the 3 years preceding to submit an application. You will need a Certificate from Cornwall Council stating that you are eligible.
- You will need to provide information to the Council as part of the application. This will need to evidence that at least one of the purchasers has lived or worked in Cornwall for the last 3 years. This is immediately preceding their application to purchase a property.
- A fee of £450.00 will need to be paid to the Council before the application will be processed. The Council will then assess the evidence and prepare and produce a Certificate.
- The Council will issue the Certificate to your solicitor. They can then send this with their application to the Land Registry after the house is purchased.
- Former Council housing was transferred to housing Associations under Housing Stock Transfers. This was in the former District Council areas of Penwith, Kerrier and Restormel, Council. If you want to buy a former Council property, you will need to contact the housing Association for that area.
The relevant Housing Associations are:
- Livewest for the former Penwith area
- Coastline Housing for the former Kerrier area (properties sold after 22nd March 1998)
- Ocean Housing for the former Restormel area
The Council's Legal department process Applications for a Certificate. Please email these types of requests to: Legal157instructions@cornwall.gov.uk or call 01872 322222 and ask for Becky Storf or Shellie Mitchell.
