Buying more shares in your shared ownership home (staircasing)
Introduction
You can increase the share of the property you own after you become a shared owner. This is known as staircasing.
When you buy more shares, you pay less rent. The amount of rent you pay will be based on the landlord’s share. However staircasing can be expensive.
For some homes you might need to wait for a certain amount of time after you buy your home before you can buy more shares. Check your lease to find out when you can buy more shares and the percentage of shares you can buy.
Most leases do not allow you to buy more shares if you owe rent or service charges to your landlord (usually a housing association).
There are pros and cons to staircasing. You do not have to staircase. Many shared owners choose not to, or find that it’s not affordable for them.
What you can do once you staircase to 100% ownership
If you’ve staircased to 100% you can:
- extend your lease without needing the landlord’s (housing association’s) permission
- sell your home on the open market without first offering it for sale to your landlord – the landlord’s right of first refusal is known as a right of pre-emption
- sublet your home
You may still need your landlord's permission for some things, such as subletting, extending your property or replacing windows. Check what you are allowed to do with your landlord or housing association.
Ongoing costs and restrictions
Even if you own 100% of the property, you still need to pay:
- the full service charge
- management fees
If you own the freehold of a house you may need to pay for buildings insurance. You can find out by asking the housing association.
- Last updated:
- 15 June 2026
- Next review:
- 15 June 2028
Related content
The rules for renting out a room or your whole shared ownership property
Advice guideThe rules and restrictions and the costs involved in selling your shared ownership property
Advice guide