Costs involved in shared ownership
Introduction
When you go into shared ownership, you buy a share of a property (for example, 25%). This can make buying a property cheaper, because you have a smaller deposit and mortgage to pay.
However, there are costs involved in owning a shared ownership property that you need to understand before you buy.
Ongoing and long-term costs of shared ownership include:
- rent on the share you do not own
- mortgage payments
- service charges
- maintenance
- costs related to buying more shares (staircasing)
- costs of extending your lease
- ground rent (for some properties)
Important
Owning a shared ownership property can be expensive. Rent and mortgage payments may increase over time. Unlike renting, you’ll also be responsible for maintenance and 100% of the monthly service charge, even though you only own a share of the property.
It’s important to understand all these costs before deciding if shared ownership is right for you. Consider whether it will still be affordable long term if costs increase, and how you’ll plan for future costs such as buying more shares or extending your lease.
- Last updated:
- 15 June 2026
- Next review:
- 15 June 2028
Related content
Checklist to help you gather then information you need before buying a shared ownership property
Advice guideYour options to increase the share of the property you own (staircasing)
Advice guideWhen to extend your shared ownership lease, and the process for getting a lease extension
Advice guide