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Buy back scheme

Background

With an ever-increasing demand for affordable housing it’s important that Aberdeen City Council looks at ways of increasing the housing stock to meet this demand. At the City Growth & Resources Committee on the 7 February 2019 the committee members agreed to extend the criteria of the existing “buy back scheme” to include any ex-council properties.

This approach will help towards providing a sustainable housing stock that meets the needs and expectations of our tenants and provides more affordable housing within the city which supports vital key workers in education, care and the health sector.

The buy back scheme sits alongside Aberdeen City Council’s, Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) for 2015-2020, which sets out the Council’s plans for new affordable housing over the next five years.

Update: 

At its meeting of 31st May 2024, the Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee considered the impact of wider resource pressures on the current Strategic Reacquisition policy. At the meeting, members instructed the Corporate Landlord to pause any new applications under the buy-back scheme (with the exclusion of any properties in Torry that may meet the requirements of RAAC affected tenants).

If you have a pending application submitted, it will be considered, and your application will continue (based around the existing criteria). The Committee’s decision only affects new applicants to the buyback scheme after the 31st May 2024.

In addition, the Committee instructed the Corporate Landlord to bring a full report on the Strategic Reacquisition and Strategic Disposal policies to a future meeting no later than 21 November 2024.

NOTE:  A dedicated email address RAAC@Aberdeenicty.gov.uk has been set up to help and assist any owner, where RAAC has been identified in their property and they wish to consider the options available to them. 
 

How does the scheme work?

On applying for the scheme an owner must provide the following documentation;

  1. A Home Report dated no more than 4 weeks prior to time of application.
    • Single Survey
    • Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
    • Property Questionnaire
  2. Title Plan & Deeds of the property you are selling
  3. Power of attorney (if appropriate)

The following surveys and safety checks are required, so access must be made available, these include;

  • Scottish Housing Quality Standards (SHQS)
  • Gas Safety Check (if applicable)

NOTE: The inclusion of a Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) assessment will ensure that expenditure on compliance issues will be fully reflected in the purchase price offered to the owner.

All documents should be sent to the buy back team using the following email address: councilhousebuyback@aberdeencity.gov.uk. Please include all contact details within the email (such as your telephone number) which we will use to arrange access to the property to complete the statutory compliance checks. Once the outcome of your application is decided, we will send the decision letter to the email address provided at the time of application. If for any reason, your contact details change during the application process, please let us know by emailing the buy back team.

Frequently Asked Questions


 

Yes, they buy back ex-council properties, if they meet certain criteria.

Only properties which have been owned by Aberdeen City Council previously will meet the criteria. Other properties such as Scottish Special or properties that have been developed and built by other housing providers will not meet the criteria and as such will be refused.

There are several reasons why the council might buy back a property, these are:

  1. An identified need for this type and size of property.
  2. The purchase of the property would demonstrate good asset management    and represent value for money for the Council.
  3. Properties in areas designated for regeneration or demolition.
  4. The owner meets the criteria within the Scottish Governments, Home Support Fund (Mortgage to Rent Scheme).  
  5. Ownership consolidation where re-acquisition returns the block to full or majority Council ownership.  
  6. Your property has been adapted for wheelchair use or designated as amenity housing.

If there are no existing Council owned properties in the tenement block, the Council would not consider repurchasing the property.

You must have a number of things in place before we can consider your application. You must provide the following documentation;

  1. A Home Report dated no more than 4 weeks from time of application.
  2. An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).
  3. Power of attorney (if appropriate).
  4. Title Plan & Deeds of the property you are selling.

NOTE: Where the property is owned by more than one party, please provide confirmation that both/all parties agree to the application being submitted to the Buy Back Scheme. 

Yes, there are potentially two surveys we require to carry out before a decision can be made. These are: 

  1. Scottish Housing Quality Standards (SHQS). 
  2. Gas Safety Check (if applicable).

NOTE: The responsibility for providing access to the property lies with the owner, the surveyor will not collect or drop off keys for an unoccupied property. The owner is responsible for allowing access and securing the property once the survey is complete. We will of course make every effort to ensure a suitable time is available to allow the survey(s) to take place.

The Council provide affordable housing and as such must work within a regulatory framework within the social housing sector. To ensure affordability and represent value for money, any items highlighted by the surveys will be costed allowing the Council to make a balanced decision.
 

Once all the documentation and surveys are complete, a decision will be available within 8 weeks. If any delays are incurred the owner will be contacted and made aware. Officers are responsible in managing the information and reaching a decision and will endeavour to do so, in a timely manner.
 

Aberdeen City Council are under no obligation to repurchase your property under the new policy arrangements. You can market your property for sale (or let) while the Council considers your application for purchase, if you wish to do so.
 

There is no formalised appeal process, each decision is considered carefully in the context of affordability and value for money for the Council. However, Officers will always explain the reasons for a refusal and help to answer any questions you may have.  
 

Contact councilhousebuyback@aberdeencity.gov.uk if you have any further questions on the Council buy back policy.

Please see how and why we use your data: your data: buy back scheme.

All outstanding (mutual / common) repair invoice(s) must be settled before a date of entry can be agreed. The owner(s) will be responsible for ensuring these invoices are paid.

The Council will require to you to remove all floor coverings, carpets, curtains, curtain poles, fitted blinds and white goods from the premises before the sale date. The reason for this is that the Council do not lease properties to Council tenants with these fittings in place and accordingly require to be removed by the seller prior to sale. Integrated appliances and non-slip floor coverings in kitchens and bathrooms can remain. 

The Council will retain £5,000 of the sale price. This is to allow for a post settlement inspection to check that the condition of the property has not changed during the sale process. The Council shall be entitled to deduct all reasonable costs from the retained sum to rectify any change in condition or damage to the property identified during the post settlement inspection.
 

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