Frequently asked questions

Shared Ownership is a scheme designed to assist those with a lower income, or who are struggling to save a deposit for a home on the open market. You buy a share of the property, usually between 10% and 75%, and pay a low-cost rent to Abri on the remaining share. Usually, you’ll only need a 5% deposit of the share you’re buying, so you could step onto the housing ladder with a deposit of as little as £5,000.

The scheme is open to first-time buyers, and those looking to move up the property ladder. As with all house-buying schemes, affordability and eligibility criteria apply. 

Much like other government schemes, Shared Ownership has a list of affordability and eligibility criteria which you’ll need to meet. You could purchase a home through the Shared Ownership scheme if:

• you're aged 18 or over
• you're a first-time buyer
• you've owned a home before, or are in the process of selling one
• your household income is less than £80,000 per annum (£90,000 if you’re in London).

Some Shared Ownership homes require you to have a local connection. So, you may either need to live, work or have a family connection to the local area.

Find out more

With Shared Ownership, you have the option to buy more shares in your home if you want to. This is called staircasing.

The more the shares you own, the less rent you will pay to Abri. Usually, you can staircase to buy all of your home, so you won’t have to pay any more rent.

The amount of shares you can buy in a single purchase depends on whether your home was funded by the Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme 2016 to 2021 or the new Affordable Homes Programme 2021 to 2026. When you find a property for sale that you like, we'll be able to let you know which applies to your home. 

For homes funded by the Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme 2016 to 2021, you can buy shares of 5% or more at any time.

For homes funded by the Affordable Homes Programme 2021 to 2026, you:

• can buy shares of 5% or more at any time
• can buy a 1% share each year for the first 15 years
• can't buy shares of 2%, 3% or 4%.

For homes funded by earlier affordable homes programmes you can buy shares from:

• 10% or more
• 25% or more. 

If you do choose to staircase with us, there is a £180 administration fee.

Want to find out more about staircasing? Use the button below..

Staircasing FAQs

When you decide that you want to sell your home, you’ll just need to let us know. We’ll exclusively market your property for a number of weeks, this is called a ‘nominations period’ and is outlined in your lease. During this time, we’ll arrange the survey and viewings for you.

Our marketing will include advertising on property websites such as OnTheMarket.com and getting photos taken of your home. For this, you'll need to pay a resales fee of £1,500 (or £1,200 if you've already paid your £300 administration fee). Check out our Sellers Guides for more information about this.

Sellers guide

If after the nominations period we’re unable to sell your home, you have the option to market it with an estate agent or property portal. And we’ll still continue to market your home to increase the chances of a quick sale. Once your home is sold, completion dates will be set, and you’ll be able to focus on making your move as smooth as possible.

If you have a 100% share, you’re free to sell the home yourself on the open market.

Yes! Up to four people can buy a Shared Ownership home together, but each individual needs to meet the eligibility criteria. 

Your buying costs will include:

• a reservation fee
• a home valuation
• your deposit
• any mortgage fees
• your solicitors' fees
• Stamp Duty (where applicable).

When you register interest in a home, we'll be able to go through these costs with you. 

Yes! We know that you're going to want to make your house a home, and put your own stamp on it. You can paint, decorate and refurbish your home just like any other homeowner. For newbuild homes it's better not to decorate for the first year, as this gives the plaster and timber time to dry out and settle.

It’s important to ask us before making any home improvements, as it may impact the value of your home. Here's some guidance on what we class as a home improvement:

• new double glazing 
• new kitchen
• new bathroom or plumbing 
• installing or replacing central heating 
• new conservatory 
• extension.

We know that sometimes there are changes in your life which may impact your home or mortgage. Always let us know as soon as you can if this happens, as we’ll be able to support you. We have handy guides on all of these processes, so head over to our Help and Advice page for more information.

Help & Advice

Making multiple payments

Good news! If you’re completing a few transactions with us at the same time – e.g. staircasing and transfer of equity, we’ll halve the cost of the lowest transaction.

We all lose things from time to time. If you need a replacement of your lease, Equity Loan deed or staircasing documents, we can help! There’s just a £35 fee for this.

Homes England include a clause in all Shared Ownership leases which restricts sub-letting, so unfortunately, we don't allow our shared owners to do this. As your home was built using public funds, we need to protect these, and make sure that our customers aren't commercially gaining from these.

But the good news is, you're allowed to take in a paying guest or lodger, as long as your Shared Ownership home remains your main and principle property. There's more information on this available on the .gov website:

Find out more

Let us know that you'd like to take in a guest or lodger by emailing us at hello@abri.co.uk.

If there's a reason that you need to sub-let your home, we can review requests on a case-by-case basis. In extenuating circumstances, we may agree a temporary arrangement in line with our Shared Ownership sub-letting procedure. To do this, please get in touch with your Leasehold Officer, who'll be happy to discuss your needs.