buying

Shared ownership staircasing: how to buy more of your home, step by step

Shared ownership staircasing explained: minimum shares, the 100 percent limit, valuation and fees, timing and how your rent changes.

4 min read
Last reviewed 4 November 2026
By Your Property Check team

Part 1 of 8

What staircasing is

General information, not advice. In shared ownership you buy a share of your home and pay rent on the rest. GOV.UK says you can buy more shares later, which is called staircasing, and that if you buy more shares you pay less rent because the rent is based on the landlord's remaining share. How the scheme works and how to sell is covered in our shared ownership guide. This page covers only the staircasing steps. We read the GOV.UK pages named below on 4 November 2026.

Part 2 of 8

How much can you buy at a time

The minimum share depends on your lease. GOV.UK says:

Usually 10 percent or more, at any time.
Older leases: 25 percent or more.
Newer leases: 5 percent or more.
Homes bought on or after 1 April 2021 may offer 1 percent a year for the first 15 years. Ask your landlord. GOV.UK states you cannot buy shares of 2, 3 or 4 percent.

For 1 percent purchases, you can buy one per year for 15 years, and an unused option cannot roll over to a later year.

Part 3 of 8

Can you reach 100 percent

For most homes the maximum is 100 percent. GOV.UK gives two exceptions: in designated protected areas the limit is 80 percent, and in Older Persons Shared Ownership homes it is 75 percent. Check your own lease and key information document.

Part 4 of 8

Step by step

Step	What happens	Who pays	Source
1	Read your key information document and lease for the permitted share sizes and timing	Nothing	GOV.UK
2	For a 1 percent share, ask the landlord whether the option applies to you	Nothing	GOV.UK
3	A valuation is arranged: by an RICS-registered surveyor, or a House Price Index valuation for 1 percent shares	You pay for an RICS valuation; for 1 percent shares, whoever requests an RICS valuation pays	GOV.UK
4	The landlord gives you the price of the share	Nothing	GOV.UK
5	You buy within 3 months of the valuation date, or the home must be revalued	You pay for the share	GOV.UK
6	Pay the administration fee if it applies and your own legal fees	You	GOV.UK

Your landlord says whether they will arrange the valuation or you must. Some homes have a waiting period after purchase, so check your lease.

Part 5 of 8

What it costs

The share itself. The price is based on market value at the time you buy, from the valuation.
Valuation. You pay for an RICS-registered surveyor's valuation.
Administration fee. For purchases of 5 percent or more, GOV.UK says the landlord may charge a fee of about £150 to £500, set by the landlord. There is no administration fee for 1 percent purchases.
Legal fees. You pay your own. The landlord pays theirs.

GOV.UK does not state a figure for the valuation fee, so we do not give one. Our moving costs guide covers other costs of a move, and the stamp duty calculator covers the tax on a purchase. GOV.UK's staircasing page does not mention Stamp Duty Land Tax, so ask your solicitor whether it applies to your share.

Part 6 of 8

Improvements

GOV.UK says that if you improved the home with your landlord's written permission, the price is based on its unimproved value. If you made improvements without permission, the price is based on current market value, which is likely higher. Get permission in writing before you spend.

Part 7 of 8

How your rent changes

Rent is based on the landlord's share, so every extra share lowers it. GOV.UK gives no amount or percentage for the fall, so check with your landlord how the new rent will be calculated before you commit.

Part 8 of 8

Why staircase

Reasons include paying less rent, owning more equity before you sell, or reaching 100 percent. A larger share means you own more of the home, but staircasing is a cost and a commitment, so weigh it against what you would gain. Our leasehold glossary entry explains why shared ownership homes are usually leasehold. If you reach 100 percent, ask your solicitor what happens to the lease and the paperwork. Before you start, also ask your landlord for the current key information document, confirm which share sizes your lease allows, and get the price and fee figures in writing so you can compare the total cost with the rent you would save.

This page is general information, not advice.

Our take

Know the full cost of each step before you buy

Staircasing is flexible, but each step has costs. The share is priced at market value from a valuation you pay for, rent falls as your share rises, and you pay your own legal fees. Our view is to total these before committing, and ask your solicitor whether Stamp Duty Land Tax applies.

Our stamp duty calculator covers SDLT, LBTT and LTT, including first-time buyer and additional-property rates, so you can see what tax would apply to a purchase. GOV.UK's staircasing page does not mention it, so confirm your own position.

Calculate stamp duty

Our opinion, drawn from the facts on this page: not advice and not a forecast. We earn from OfferCheck reports and from introducing sellers to cash buyers, so weigh it with that in mind (see our disclosure). We are not authorised or regulated by the FCA.

Questions, answered

Frequently asked questions

What is staircasing?

Buying more shares in your shared ownership home. GOV.UK says that if you buy more shares you pay less rent, because rent is based on the landlord's remaining share.

How much does staircasing cost?

You pay the market value of the share from a valuation, an RICS surveyor's valuation fee, your own legal fees and possibly an administration fee of about £150 to £500 for shares of 5 percent or more, set by the landlord.

Can you staircase to 100 percent?

For most homes yes. GOV.UK says the limit is 80 percent in designated protected areas and 75 percent for Older Persons Shared Ownership homes.

What is the minimum share you can buy?

Usually 10 percent. Older leases may require 25 percent, newer leases 5 percent, and homes bought on or after 1 April 2021 may offer 1 percent a year for 15 years.

How long is the valuation valid?

For purchases of 5 percent or more, GOV.UK says you should buy within 3 months of the valuation date, or the home must be revalued.

Where this comes from

Sources

Last reviewed 4 November 2026 by the Your Property Check team. This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. For your own situation, speak to a conveyancing solicitor or another qualified professional.