Is Shared Ownership Worth It? The Legal Pros and Cons

Whether shared ownership is worth it depends on your income, your plans and the lease you are offered, and we cannot answer that for you. What we can do is set out, from the legal side, what you get and what you take on, so you can ask the right questions before you reserve a home.

Checked 20 October 2026, against the government's guide to the shared ownership scheme. This is about England.

What you own and what you owe

You buy a share of the home, between 10% and 75% of its full market value (the usual range is 25% to 75%). You pay rent to the landlord, usually a housing association, on the part you do not own. You usually pay a service charge and ground rent as well. All shared ownership homes, houses and flats, are leasehold.

The deposit is usually between 5% and 10% of the share you are buying, not of the full price. You can pay with a mortgage or savings.

Points in favour

• A smaller deposit and mortgage. You borrow against a share, not the whole value, so the amount to find up front is lower.
• Rent falls as you buy more. Your rent is based on the landlord's remaining share, so staircasing reduces it.
• A way to own part of a home. You build your own share, and you can buy more of it over time.
• Stamp Duty can be low or nil. You can pay on the share you buy now, and first-time buyers can claim relief. Our guide to shared ownership stamp duty shows how.

Points against

• Rent and service charges on top of the mortgage. You pay the rent on the rest of the home as well as your mortgage, and the service charge and ground rent where the lease has them. Check how the rent can rise, as set out in the lease.
• A lease with restrictions. The lease limits what you can do, for example alterations, letting the home or taking in a lodger, and may need the landlord's consent.
• Resale starts with your landlord. If you own less than 100%, you must tell your landlord when you want to sell, and they have 4, 8 or 12 weeks, depending on the lease, to find a buyer before you can sell your share yourself. Our guide to selling a shared ownership home walks through it.
• Staircasing costs money. Buying shares of 5% or more needs a surveyor's valuation that you pay for, and the landlord may charge an administration fee, typically about £150 to £500.
• Repairs are your cost. GOV.UK says you pay for repairs and maintenance whatever share you own. An initial repair period, usually 10 years and only while you own less than 100%, makes the landlord responsible for essential repairs to the outside of the building and lets you claim up to £500 a year for certain fixtures. After it ends, all repairs are yours. Check what your lease says (GOV.UK, checked 20 October 2026).
• Leasehold, even at 100%. A flat stays leasehold when you own all of it, so service charges carry on. A house usually becomes freehold when you reach 100% and the landlord transfers the freehold to you.

What the lease decides

Two shared ownership leases can look alike and work quite differently. Read the key information document before you reserve. Your solicitor checks the lease before you exchange, including:

• the smallest share you can buy later, and whether 1% purchases are allowed (possible where you bought on or after 1 April 2021)
• how the rent is reviewed and by how much it can rise
• who is responsible for repairs and what the service charge covers
• the nomination period on resale
• restrictions on letting, alterations and pets
• whether the home is in a designated protected area, where the maximum share can be 80% and open-market sales may not be allowed

The landlord's key information document sets out much of this. Read it before you reserve, not after.

What it costs on our side

Our fee for buying a share is our leasehold purchase fee and the standard purchase lines, plus "Shared Ownership" (£250 + VAT). The leasehold purchase lines come to £1,260 + VAT and include "Dealing with Leasehold" (£150 + VAT). On a home worth £500,000 or less, bought with a mortgage, the total is £1,510 + VAT (£1,812 including VAT), plus disbursements, typically £319 to £341 for one or two buyers, including VAT where it applies. Many shared ownership homes are new builds, which are priced on our new-build scale with "New Build Property" (£250 + VAT) as well. Your written quote confirms the figure before you commit.

Stamp Duty Land Tax and the HM Land Registry fee are set by the government and shown separately.

How long a purchase takes

Typically 10 to 12 weeks from instruction to completion, depending on the chain, the searches, your lender and the housing association. Our fast-track service typically takes 8 to 10 weeks, for £500 + VAT paid on completion. If we miss that timescale you do not pay the fast-track fee, unless the delay is outside our control, for example caused by the other side, the lender or the chain.

Questions people ask

Is shared ownership a good idea?

It suits some buyers and not others. It lowers the deposit and mortgage you need, but you pay rent and service charges as well, and you live under a lease with its own limits. Compare the total monthly cost before you decide, and speak to a mortgage adviser about affordability.

What are the disadvantages of shared ownership?

The main ones are rent on the share you do not own, service charges, lease restrictions, and a resale that starts with your landlord's nomination period. Staircasing also has valuation and legal costs.

Do you lose money on shared ownership?

The rent you pay on the landlord's share does not build your ownership. The price of your share follows the value of the home, so it can go down as well as up. A surveyor values your share when you sell or staircase.

Can you sell a shared ownership home?

Yes. You tell your landlord, who has the nomination period to find a buyer, and then you can sell your share yourself. If you own 100% you can usually sell on the open market.

Is it cheaper to buy a share than the whole home?

Your deposit and mortgage are smaller, but the total monthly cost includes rent and charges. That total is what to compare.

Buying a shared ownership home

Our shared ownership solicitors page sets out each fee line and what we do. If it is your first home, our first-time buyer conveyancing page covers gifted deposits and Lifetime ISAs. For an exact figure, get a quote for your purchase.

Sources

The scheme: GOV.UK, shared ownership scheme, checked 20 October 2026.

Repairs: GOV.UK, repairs and home improvements, checked 20 October 2026.

Staircasing and selling: buying more shares and selling your home, checked 20 October 2026.

This is general information, not financial or tax advice. Shared ownership leases vary; read yours and ask us about anything unclear.