If you have been a tenant of a local authority house for at least one year then you may apply to your local authority to buy it, either outright or through shared ownership.
In general, all local authority houses are included, with the exception of houses provided for and occupied by elderly people and flats. Local authorities can exclude houses for reasons of good estate management, because of their structural condition or if they have proposals to carry out remedial works to them.
Apartments or flats are not included in the tenant purchase scheme.
The price of the house will be its market value as determined by the local authority in its existing state of repair and condition, minus discounts. The structural condition of the house will be taken into account and any increase in the market value due to improvements you made to the house will be disregarded in calculating the price.
If you disagree with the local authority's valuation of your house, you can contest it by getting a valuation certificate from a qualified valuer. If there is a significant difference between the local authority's original valuation and the valuation submitted by you, then the local authority will refer it to the Valuation Office.
You can either get a mortgage with a bank or building society Paying for a home or you can apply to your local authority for a local authority mortgage. This may be a variable interest rate loan so that repayments will go up or down with general interest rates or the interest rate will be fixed for the first five years of the loan.
You must have been a tenant of a local authority house for at least one year.
You will be allowed a discount of 3% of the value of the house for each year of the tenancy of a local authority house up to a maximum of 10 years plus 3,809.21 euro.
No stamp duty is payable on the house.
If you want to sell the house within 20 years of the date you bought on or before you have acquired full ownership, you must get the consent of the local authority.
Housing Office ,Sligo County Council, County Hall, Riverside, Sligo (071) 9111305