Quick answer
To sell a shared ownership home you tell your landlord in writing. It then has a nomination period to find a buyer: 4 weeks on the newer leases and usually 8 weeks (12 on some) on older ones. If it finds one, your share is sold at an independent RICS valuation, to a buyer who meets the shared ownership rules.
If the landlord doesn't find a buyer, you can sell your share yourself, still to an eligible buyer, or staircase to 100% and sell the whole home at the same time. If you already own 100%, you can usually sell on the open market.
In this guide
Selling a shared ownership home step by step
1. Read your lease and Key Information Document
They set the nomination period, any resale fee, and whether your home is in a protected area with a buyback or an 80% cap.
2. Get a RICS valuation
An independent RICS valuer values your share, and you pay for it. A valuation is normally valid for three months. On the newer leases the valuer's certificate must be dated no more than eight weeks before you give notice.
3. Tell the landlord in writing
Your written notice starts the nomination period: 4 weeks on the newer leases, and normally 8 weeks (12 on some) on older ones.
4. The landlord looks for a buyer
It markets the home to people who meet the shared ownership rules, usually first come, first served, at the valuation price, and each buyer has a full affordability check.
5. If it doesn't find one, you can sell yourself
Through an estate agent, either selling your share to an eligible buyer at a price you agree, or staircasing to 100% and selling the whole home at the same time (a back-to-back sale).
6. Exchange and complete
On the newer leases contracts must be exchanged within 12 months of your notice, or the process starts again.
The newer leases are the Homes England model introduced for homes funded from the 2021 to 2026 programme, which also brought in 1% staircasing and the 10-year repair period. The gov.uk shared ownership guide covers selling too, and your landlord's resales team can tell you which rules apply to your lease.
How your share is valued
During the nomination period the price is set by an independent RICS “Red Book” valuation, and your share sells at that proportion of the home's value. If you bought 40% of a £300,000 home and it is now valued at £320,000, your share sells for £128,000. From that you repay your mortgage and pay the costs of selling. You keep any rise in value on your share, and bear any fall.
Once the nomination period is over, selling your share yourself is different: Homes England's guidance says no RICS valuation is needed and you can sell at, below or above any valuation you had. Your landlord may still want one before it approves the buyer's mortgage, and a back-to-back sale needs one for the staircasing.
What selling a shared ownership home costs
- The RICS valuation, which you pay for when the landlord is finding the buyer.
- A resale or marketing fee, if your landlord charges one. Your Key Information Document shows it as a set amount or a percentage. Homes England says fees should reflect actual costs and not make a profit, and the marketing fee doesn't apply if the landlord doesn't find a buyer.
- Your legal fees, as with any sale.
- An estate agent, normally only if you sell yourself after the nomination period.
- Stamp duty may be due on a back-to-back sale, as staircasing to 100% is a purchase. Our shared ownership stamp duty section explains when.
- Your mortgage: an early repayment charge if you are still in a fixed or tracker deal and can't move it to your next home.
Who can buy your share
Anyone buying your share has to meet the normal shared ownership rules, including household income of £80,000 or less (£90,000 in London). During the nomination period the landlord picks the buyer, usually first come, first served, with a full affordability check. After it, you choose the buyer, and the landlord's check focuses on its published policies, including its minimum surplus rule.
Your buyer must buy at least the share you own, and takes over your rent as it stands, so a home with years of rent increases behind it costs a buyer more each month than a new one. On the newer leases, each new owner can use 1% staircasing for 15 years from when they buy. If the buyer will need a mortgage on the share, our shared ownership mortgage calculator shows what lenders could lend, and the shared ownership rent guide explains how the rent they take over was worked out.
Selling after staircasing to 100%
Once you own the whole home there is no nomination period and no rule on who can buy: you can usually sell on the open market like any other owner. The landlord's right of first refusal after final staircasing was removed on 30 April 2015, and Homes England says it should be taken off older leases and titles, so check yours before you market the home. A flat stays leasehold, with the service charge, after you reach 100%.
If you don't own 100% yet, a back-to-back sale lets you buy the rest and sell the whole home on the same day. The staircasing goes through the landlord and needs a RICS valuation, and stamp duty may apply to the share you buy.
Things to check before you sell
- Protected areas. In some rural areas the lease caps your share at 80%, or requires you to sell back to the landlord or someone it nominates. Under a buyback the landlord has six weeks to respond and three months to complete from your notice.
- Older people's shared ownership stops at a 75% share, so you can't staircase to 100% before you sell.
- The 12-month clock. On the newer leases, if contracts aren't exchanged within 12 months of your notice, the process starts again.
- Your next home. Existing shared owners can buy another shared ownership home, and our shared ownership eligibility guide covers who qualifies.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the nomination period for shared ownership?
Four weeks on the newer leases, used for homes funded from the 2021 to 2026 programme onwards. Older leases normally give the landlord 8 weeks, and some 12. Your lease says which. It starts when you give the landlord written notice that you want to sell.
Can I sell my shared ownership home on the open market?
Yes, once the nomination period ends or the landlord waives it. You can then sell your share through an estate agent, but the buyer must still meet the shared ownership eligibility rules. Or you can staircase to 100% and sell the whole home at the same time, a back-to-back sale. If you already own 100%, you can usually sell on the open market like any other owner.
Do I need a valuation to sell my shared ownership home?
If the landlord finds the buyer during the nomination period, yes: your share is sold at an independent RICS valuation, which you pay for and which normally lasts three months. If you sell your share yourself after the period ends, Homes England's guidance says no RICS valuation is needed and the price is up to you, although the landlord may want one before approving the buyer's mortgage. A back-to-back sale needs one for the staircasing.
What fees do I pay to sell a shared ownership home?
Your own legal fees, the RICS valuation, and any resale or marketing fee your landlord charges, which the Key Information Document shows as a set amount or a percentage. Homes England says these fees should reflect actual costs and not make a profit, and the marketing fee does not apply if the landlord does not find a buyer. If you sell through an estate agent after the nomination period, you pay the agent too.
Does the buyer have to qualify for shared ownership?
Yes, if they are buying your share. They must meet the normal rules, including household income of £80,000 or less (£90,000 in London), and pass an affordability check. They must buy at least the share you own, and they take over your rent. The rules for buyers of the whole home in a back-to-back sale aren't set out in Homes England's guidance.
Can I sell after staircasing to 100%?
Usually, yes, on the open market. The landlord's right of first refusal after you reach 100% was removed on 30 April 2015, and Homes England says it should be taken off older leases too. The exception is homes in some rural protected areas, where the lease either caps your share at 80% or requires you to sell back to the landlord or someone it nominates.
What happens to a shared ownership home when the owner dies?
The nomination period does not apply to a transfer on death. Homes England's guidance since June 2026 is that the beneficiaries pay the rent and service charge until the home is sold.
This guide is information, not advice, and is not a recommendation to take out any specific mortgage product. We are not FCA authorised. Shared ownership rules depend on your lease and your housing association, and lender criteria change, so confirm them with your housing association, the lender or a qualified, FCA-authorised adviser before you act.