Selling a Shared Ownership Home: Steps, Nomination Period and Costs

Selling a shared ownership home starts with telling your landlord, usually the housing association. If you own less than 100%, they have a set period to find a buyer first. If they do not, you can sell your share yourself. This guide covers England and follows the government's guidance on selling a shared ownership home.

Checked 20 October 2026.

The steps in order

1. Read your lease and key information document. They set your nomination period, the landlord's selling fee and any restriction on who can buy.
2. Tell your landlord you want to sell. You do this before you market the home. It starts the nomination period.
3. Get a valuation. The price of your share is set by a surveyor registered with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Your landlord says whether they arrange it or you do. Either way, you pay.
4. Find a buyer. In the nomination period the landlord looks for one, often from its waiting list. If they cannot find one in time, you can sell the share yourself.
5. Instruct a solicitor. We deal with the lease, the landlord's consent and paperwork, your lender, the contract and the money on completion.
6. Exchange and complete. Your mortgage is repaid from the sale price, and the landlord's charges are settled.

The nomination period

GOV.UK says the landlord has "4, 8 or 12 weeks, depending on the lease" to find a buyer. The length is in your lease. If the landlord does not find a buyer in that time, you can sell your share yourself. The period does not apply in some cases, for example where an owner has died or a court orders a transfer.

Some homes, such as those in a designated protected area with a mandatory buyback lease, cannot be sold on the open market at all. Check your lease for this.

What price you can get

If the landlord finds the buyer, the price is no more than the current market value of your share. That value comes from the RICS valuation, which you pay for. Check your lease or key information document for the landlord's own selling fee, which comes on top.

Staircasing to 100% before you sell

Some owners buy the remaining shares first and sell the whole home on the open market. If you own 100% of your home, you can usually sell it on the open market without the nomination period.

Staircasing has its own costs and steps. GOV.UK explains that buying shares of 5% or more needs a RICS valuation, which you pay for, and the landlord may charge an administration fee each time, typically about £150 to £500. Where you bought on or after 1 April 2021, you may be able to buy 1% shares each year for up to 15 years, valued by index, with no administration fee. You pay your own legal fees, and if you borrow to buy shares you need a legal adviser. See GOV.UK on buying more shares.

If you staircase with a remortgage, our "Staircasing" line (£250 + VAT) is added to the remortgage fee. We give a written quote for staircasing on its own.

Stamp Duty may arise on staircasing, depending on how you paid it when you bought. Our guide to shared ownership stamp duty explains the 80% rule.

What the legal work involves

On a sale of your share we:

• check the lease and the landlord's consent and conditions, and answer the questions the buyer's solicitor raises
• complete the property information forms with you
• work with the landlord on the paperwork it requires from sellers
• ask your lender for the mortgage redemption figure and repay the mortgage from the sale price
• exchange contracts, complete, and send you the balance

What it costs

On a sale our fee is our leasehold sale fee plus the standard sale lines, plus "Shared Ownership" (£250 + VAT). Example: you sell a share worth £150,000 and have a mortgage to repay.

• Legal Fees: £395
• File Opening Fee (Non-refundable): £100
• Telegraphic Transfer Fee (Per Transfer): £40
• Mortgage Redemption Fee: £100
• Dealing with Leasehold: £150
• Shared Ownership: £250
• Our fees: £1,035 + VAT (£1,242 including VAT)

If your flat is in a building of five or more storeys or over 11 metres, "Dealing with Building Safety Act" (£500 + VAT) is added. Typical third-party costs on a leasehold sale are about £55 for one seller, including "Office Copy Entries (Leasehold) Per Item" (£8.80), checked 20 October 2026. Not included: the surveyor's valuation, the landlord's own selling fee and its leasehold information charge, and any estate agent's fee. Your written quote confirms the exact figure before you commit. Our fees page explains how our charges work, and our guide to solicitor fees for selling a house covers each line.

How long it takes

Typically 10 to 12 weeks from instruction to completion for a leasehold sale, depending on the chain, the searches, your buyer's lender and the landlord. The nomination period can add to the time before your home is on the market to the public. 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.

If the sale falls through

You pay our File Opening Fee (Non-refundable), £100 + VAT, and any disbursements we have already paid out on your behalf. The rest of what you have paid us is refunded, or carried over to your next property when you find one.

Questions people ask

Can I sell my shared ownership home on the open market?

Yes, if you own 100%. If you own less, you tell your landlord first, and they have the nomination period to find a buyer. After that you can sell your share yourself.

How long is the nomination period?

It is 4, 8 or 12 weeks, depending on your lease. The length is in your lease and key information document.

Do I have to staircase before I sell?

No. You can sell the share you own. Some owners staircase to 100% first because they can then sell on the open market. Staircasing adds a valuation, a possible landlord fee and legal work.

Who pays for the valuation?

You do. A RICS-registered surveyor sets the value of your share. The landlord says who arranges it.

Do I pay Stamp Duty when I sell?

No. Stamp Duty is paid by the buyer. If you staircase before selling, Stamp Duty can arise on the shares you buy, depending on how you paid when you first bought.

Selling with us

Our shared ownership solicitors page explains what we do on a sale or a purchase, and our selling a house page covers the sale process. For an exact figure, get a quote for your sale. If you are thinking about the scheme as a whole, our guide on whether shared ownership is worth it covers resale and staircasing.

Sources

Selling a shared ownership home: GOV.UK, selling your home, checked 20 October 2026.

Staircasing: GOV.UK, buying more shares ('staircasing'), checked 20 October 2026.

This is general information about shared ownership in England, not advice on your lease. Terms vary between leases and landlords; check yours.