Shared Ownership lets you buy a share of a home and pay rent on the rest. It's aimed at people who can't afford to buy a suitable home outright on the open market. This guide explains how it works, who qualifies, what it costs, and the things to watch — including how buying more of your home (and selling it) can work differently in a Designated Protected Area.
You buy a share of a property — usually between 25% and 75%, and as little as 10% on some homes — with a mortgage and/or savings, and pay rent to the landlord (usually a housing association) on the share you don't own. Because you only need a mortgage and deposit on your share rather than the whole property, the upfront cost is lower than buying outright.
Shared Ownership homes are leasehold: the landlord grants you a lease (gov.uk notes this is usually for 99 years) setting out your rights and responsibilities. You can normally buy more shares over time — see staircasing below.
You can buy through Shared Ownership if your household income is £80,000 a year or less (£90,000 or less in London) and you can't afford the deposit and mortgage payments for a home that meets your needs. It's generally aimed at first-time buyers (and some others, such as previous owners who can no longer afford to buy, or existing shared owners moving home).
You can usually buy further shares in your home over time, known as staircasing, increasing the share you own and reducing the rent you pay. If you bought on or after 1 April 2021, you may be able to buy shares of 1% each year for the first 15 years, as well as in larger steps.
Most owners can staircase all the way to 100% and become outright owners. The big exception is a Designated Protected Area, where the lease can cap staircasing (often at 80%) or require you to sell your share back to the landlord — see Shared Ownership staircasing and the 80% cap.
For homes provided through the Affordable Homes Programme 2021 to 2026, the landlord meets the cost of repairs and maintenance for the first 10 years from the point of initial sale (up to a limit, with some exceptions). Older Shared Ownership leases typically make the leaseholder responsible for repairs from the start, so check your lease.
You can sell your share. The landlord usually has a set period — a nomination period — to find a buyer first before you can sell on the open market. In a Designated Protected Area there can be extra resale conditions (such as a local-connection requirement). See selling a Shared Ownership home.
Shared Ownership can be a realistic route onto the ladder when buying outright isn't possible — a smaller deposit, a smaller mortgage, and a chance to buy more over time. The trade-offs to weigh up: you pay rent as well as a mortgage, there are service charges and (on many leases) repair costs, selling can take longer because of the nomination period, and in a protected area you may not be able to own 100%. Whether it's right for you depends on your budget, the specific lease, and the specific home.
If you're looking at a specific Shared Ownership home, it's worth checking whether it sits in a Designated Protected Area, because that changes your staircasing and resale options. You can check an address or postcode here for an indicative answer.
This is general guidance, not legal or financial advice — always read the specific lease and take advice from a conveyancer and mortgage adviser before committing.
Accurate as of June 2026.
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