The Right to Buy (RTB) was initially established in 1980 to give public sector tenants the opportunity to purchase their houses at discounted rates. Since its introduction, almost 457,000 public sector properties have been sold in Scotland, which represents 43 per cent of 1979 stock sold. A quarter of these (122,000) have been sold since Labour took office in May 1997. The transfer of such a large stock of dwellings from public to private use has inevitably had major implications for the availability of housing in the public sector in Scotland. There is now growing concern over the continuing usefulness of the RTB, particularly in the light of its potential to further reduce the supply of good quality rented accommodation in the public sector and therefore contribute to the shortage of affordable housing in Scotland.

This briefing outlines the background to RTB and how it operates. It then goes on to examine its impact both on the individuals effected and on housing policy. It concludes with Shelter's case for change.