Shared Ownership Conveyancing Solicitors

Getting onto the property ladder through shared ownership? Our specialist panel solicitors guide you through every legal aspect of your shared ownership purchase.

Get a Free Quote

What Is Shared Ownership?

Shared ownership is a government-backed affordable homeownership scheme that allows eligible buyers to purchase a share of a property — typically between 10% and 75% — and pay a subsidised rent on the remaining share owned by a housing association or local authority.

Over time, you can purchase additional shares in your home — a process known as staircasing — until you own 100% of the property outright.

Shared ownership is available for new build and existing resale properties through registered housing providers. It is designed to help first-time buyers, single earners, and those who cannot yet afford to buy on the open market.

Eligibility: You must generally have a household income of no more than £80,000 (or £90,000 in London) and not already own a home. You should either be a first-time buyer or have previously owned a home but cannot currently afford to buy on the open market.

Why Shared Ownership Conveyancing Is Specialised

Shared ownership conveyancing is significantly more complex than a standard freehold or leasehold purchase because it involves:

  • A long leasehold — shared ownership properties are always held on a long lease, typically 99 or 125 years
  • A shared ownership lease — which contains specific provisions governing your rent obligations, staircasing rights, repair obligations, and the housing association's pre-emption right to buy back the property
  • Reviewing the terms of the shared ownership lease carefully to ensure they are fair and conform to the government's model shared ownership lease
  • Liaising with the housing association's solicitors, your mortgage lender, and your seller in a resale transaction
  • Stamp duty elections — shared ownership buyers can choose to pay SDLT on the full market value upfront (with no further SDLT due on future staircasing up to 80%) or on the initial share only (with SDLT due on each subsequent staircasing transaction)

Staircasing: Buying Additional Shares

One of the key advantages of shared ownership is the ability to staircase — to progressively buy a greater share of your home as your financial circumstances allow. Each staircasing transaction involves:

  • Obtaining a valuation of the property to fix the current market value
  • Agreeing the proportion of additional shares you wish to purchase and the price (based on the valuation)
  • Instructing a solicitor to handle the legal transfer of the additional shares, including updating the lease and registering the change with HM Land Registry
  • Considering the SDLT implications of the transaction

Our panel solicitors are experienced in both initial shared ownership purchases and subsequent staircasing transactions.

Shared Ownership FAQs

Yes — you can obtain a mortgage on your share of a shared ownership property. Not all lenders offer shared ownership mortgages, but there is a growing number of products available. Your mortgage lender will need to be aware that the property is held on a shared ownership lease and will need to approve the terms of the lease before lending. Our solicitors work with all major lenders who offer shared ownership products.
Yes — you can sell a shared ownership property at any time, subject to the terms of your lease. Many shared ownership leases contain a nomination period during which the housing association has the right to nominate a buyer. If the housing association cannot find a buyer within this period, you may be free to sell on the open market. Our solicitors handle shared ownership sales, including the nomination period provisions.
A shared ownership resale is a shared ownership property being sold by an existing shared owner, rather than being purchased new from a housing association. Resale properties can offer better value than new builds. The conveyancing process for a resale is similar to a new shared ownership purchase but may involve additional steps depending on the terms of the original lease.
Under the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022, ground rent on new shared ownership leases granted from June 2022 must be set at a peppercorn (zero). For older shared ownership leases, ground rent provisions vary. Our solicitors will review the ground rent clause in your lease and advise you accordingly.

Get Your Shared Ownership Quote

Fill in your details and one of our expert conveyancing solicitors will contact you with your best-priced quote. No obligation, no hidden fees.

  • Free, no-obligation quote
  • Competitive fixed fees
  • Local, SRA-regulated solicitors
  • Response within 2 hours
  • No sale, no fee options available

Prefer to speak to someone?

Call Free: 0800 612 7456