Section 171A: Cases in which right to buy is preserved.

Housing Act 1985 · 1985 c. 68View on legislation.gov.uk

Part V: THE RIGHT TO BUY

The provisions of this Part continue to apply where a person ceases to be a secure tenant of a dwelling-house by reason of the disposal by the landlord of an interest in the dwelling-house in England to a person who is not an authority or body within section 80 (the landlord condition for secure tenancies).

In the following provisions of this Part—

references to the preservation of the right to buy and to a person having the preserved right to buy are to the continued application of the provisions of this Part by virtue of this section and to a person in relation to whom those provisions so apply;
" qualifying disposal " means a disposal in relation to which this section applies, and
" former secure tenant " and the " former landlord " are the persons mentioned in subsection (1).

This section does not apply—

where the former landlord was a person against whom the right to buy could not be exercised by virtue of paragraph 1, 2 or 3 of Schedule 5 (charities and certain housing associations), or
in such other cases as may be excepted from the operation of this section by order of the Secretary of State.

Orders under subsection (3)( b )—

may relate to particular disposals and may make different provision with respect to different cases or descriptions of case, including different provision for different areas, and
shall be made by statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

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Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.