Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Act 2018
The Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Act 2018 (the Act) makes provision for the following:
- abolition of the right of eligible secure tenants to buy their home at a discount under Part 5 of the Housing Act 1985 (Right to Buy);
- abolition of the preserved right of eligible former secure tenants to buy their home at a discount under section 171A of the Housing Act 1985 (Preserved Right to Buy);
- abolition of the right of eligible assured or secure tenants of a registered social landlord or private registered provider to acquire their home at a discount under section 16 of the Housing Act 1996 (Right to Acquire);
- encouragement for social landlords to build or acquire new homes for rent, and for the Right to Buy, the Preserved Right to Buy and the Right to Acquire not to be exercisable by tenants who move into new social housing stock more than two months after the Bill receives Royal Assent, subject to certain exceptions;
- for at least one year to pass after the Bill receives Royal Assent before the abolition of the Right to Buy, the Preserved Right to Buy and the Right to Acquire for existing social housing stock comes into force.
The Senedd produced an Act Summary, which provides a further useful overview, and the Explanatory Notes to the Act provide detailed commentary on the various provisions.
Coming into force:
Sections 1, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 came into force on 24 January 2018, the day on which the Act received Royal Assent. Sections 2 to 5 came into force at the end of the period of 2 months beginning with the day on which the Act received Royal Assent. Sections 6 and 7 came into force on the 26 January 2019 in accordance with the following appointed day order:
Subordinate legislation made under the Act:
| Title | Citation number | Made date | Coming into force date | Supporting documents |
| The Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Act 2018 (Consequential Amendments and Savings Provisions) Regulations 2019 | 2019 No 110 (W.27) | 24 January 2019 | 26 January 2019 | Explanatory Memorandum |
Consideration of the legislation by the Senedd
The Bill was introduced on 13 March 2017 by Carl Sargeant AM, Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children. The First Minister authorised Rebecca Evans AM, Minister for Housing and Regeneration, as the new Member in Charge of the Bill, from 9 November 2017.
More information about the Bill is available on the Senedd’s website, including a record of the passage of the Bill through Senedd and the Explanatory Memorandum that was prepared by the Welsh Government (as revised after Stage 2).
The Act received Royal Assent on 24 January 2018.
Related articles and information:
• Right to Buy to end in Wales this month | GOV.WALES
• Abolition of the Right to Buy legislation receives Royal Assent | GOV.WALES