A 12-week public consultation has opened on plans to change how Housing Executive tenants in Northern Ireland can buy their homes.
The Housing Executive’s House Sales Scheme – which has helped more than 122,000 households become homeowners over several decades – is being reviewed amid growing pressure on social housing.
The consultation runs from Friday, April 24 until Friday, July 17, 2026, and is open to tenants, stakeholders and the wider public. It can be completed online at nihe.gov.uk/consultations.
Officials say demand for social housing and the number of households in housing stress continue to rise, while the supply of suitable homes remains under pressure. The aim of the review is to protect social homes for future generations, while still allowing tenants to pursue home ownership through “modern, affordable and sustainable routes”.
The consultation looks at five proposed changes to the current House Sales Scheme, as well as how any transition period should work and views on the longer-term future of the scheme.
The five main proposals are:
Some adapted homes would no longer be sold. This would apply to properties with: Wheelchair access; Major adaptations;and special features for people with disabilities.
The Housing Executive says these homes are hard to replace and expensive to adapt again, and keeping them in social stock would help people who most need them.
The ‘buy‑back’ period would be extended. At present, if a home is sold, the Housing Executive can buy it back within 10 years.
The proposal is to extend this to 20 years, to help keep homes in areas where there is high housing need.
Flats would no longer be sold. The sale of flats and other leasehold properties would stop. The Housing Executive says sold flats can create: maintenance problems; higher costs; and loss of social homes in built‑up areas
Some former owners could not buy again. The tenant would not be allowed to buy that same home a second time. This is to avoid the same property being sold repeatedly.
Discount rules would change for some tenants. Some tenants have rented from both the Housing Executive, and a housing association. Under the proposal, time spent in a housing association property would no longer count towards the House Sales Scheme discount. The Housing Executive says this is to make the scheme fairer and clearer.
The changes would not come in immediately. A “grace period” is proposed to give people time to understand the new rules and consider their options.
The Housing Executive is asking for views on how long this grace period should last (six months is suggested, but not decided) and which of the changes it should apply to.
The Housing Executive says it believes the proposals comply with human rights law and equality duties, and that checks have been carried out on impacts relating to disability, age, gender, family status and other equality groups. No major negative impacts were identified.
A Rural Needs Impact Assessment has also been completed, with the Housing Executive stating that rural areas should not be affected differently.
Consultation responses may be published, but names and contact details will be removed. Respondents can ask for their submission to be kept private. All information will be handled in line with data protection laws.
The full consultation document and response form are available at: nihe.gov.uk/consultations.
