Buying more shares in your shared ownership home (staircasing)
Limits on the percentage of shares you can own
Some types of shared ownership property have an upper limit on the percentage share that you can own, so you cannot staircase to 100%.
Rural shared ownership homes
Some rural shared ownership schemes only allow up to 80% staircasing. These are in areas with a shortage of affordable housing and this rule prevents homes being sold on the open market.
You can check if there’s a limit on staircasing by looking at the:
- lease
- Key Information Document (KID)
There are strict rules on selling rural shared ownership homes. The housing association usually has a nomination period of 4, 8 or 12 weeks to find a buyer. Priority goes to buyers who:
- live or work locally
- meet affordability criteria
Older persons shared ownership
Older Persons Shared Ownership (OPSO) is for people aged 55 or over who cannot afford to buy a home on the open market.
The maximum share you can buy in an OPSO property is 75%.
Once you reach 75% ownership, you do not need to pay rent.
You still need to pay service charges, even at 75% ownership.
For more information see GOV.UK guidance on Older Persons Shared Ownership (OPSO).
- Last updated:
- 15 June 2026
- Next review:
- 15 June 2028
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The rules for renting out a room or your whole shared ownership property
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