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Own more of your home, one step at a time

Buying a bigger share of your home cuts the rent you pay on the rest. See what it would cost you, before you commit to anything.

Create your accountJoin 10,000+ shared owners

At 45% owned, rent is £371 a month and the mortgage is £627, £998 in total against £998 today.

Could you reduce your rent?

Your best estimate
Rent only — not service charge
The cost of the new share£70,000
Your rent falls by£200 a monthFrom £600 to £400 a month
Sign up to see full affordability breakdownA rough estimate, not a mortgage offer. Based on today’s rent, so it doesn’t include future rent reviews, and service charges don’t change when you buy more. A broker can confirm what you can borrow.

How does staircasing work?

Staircasing is the process of buying more shares in your home. As you buy more shares, you pay less rent on the remaining portion.

  1. Prepare

    Work out what you can afford

    Get a realistic picture before you spend a penny.

    The calculator estimates how big a share you could afford and what it would do to your monthly costs. It is a guide rather than a mortgage offer, but it tells you whether staircasing is realistic right now.

    5 minsFree

    Stairpay never charges you a fee — your landlord pays us, so you get a better experience.

    Try the calculator

  2. Check your property details

    Make sure your share, rent and lease details are right.

    Your landlord and your solicitor will both rely on the details held about your home — the share you own, your rent and your lease. Checking them now means mistakes get fixed before they can hold up the legal work later.

    1–3 daysFree

    Free — it just takes a little of your time.

    See your property data

  3. Build your team

    You and a broker

    Speak to a mortgage broker

    Turn your estimate into a real borrowing figure.

    A broker does a full affordability assessment and confirms the maximum share you can actually buy. If you need to borrow more, they will also find the mortgage deal for it. You do not always need one — if you are buying the extra share with savings, this step is a conversation you can skip. If your landlord is on Stairpay, the professionals they recommend are listed in your account, so you are choosing from people they already work with rather than starting from scratch.

    About a weekUsually free

    Most brokers are paid by the lender, so you often pay nothing. Those that do charge usually take their fee at completion.

    How staircasing mortgages work
  4. You and a solicitor

    Tell your solicitor

    Flag your plans early so nothing blocks you later.

    Your solicitor will spot anything that could stand in your way, and will tell you whether you will owe stamp duty on the new share. This runs at the same time as the broker conversation, and running the two in parallel is most of what keeps the process moving. If your landlord is on Stairpay, the professionals they recommend are listed in your account, so you are choosing from people they already work with rather than starting from scratch.

    About a weekFree to start

    Solicitors charge for the legal work at the end, but the initial conversation is normally free.

    Ask about stamp duty

  5. Make it official

    A RICS surveyor

    Get a RICS valuation

    An independent valuation sets the price of your new share.

    A RICS-certified surveyor values your home, and that valuation fixes what your new share costs. It is only valid for about 90 days, so book it once you are ready to go ahead. If your landlord is on Stairpay, the professionals they recommend are listed in your account, so you are choosing from people they already work with rather than starting from scratch.

    2–3 weeks£200–£300

    Expect £200–£300, paid up front when you book.

    How a RICS valuation works
  6. You and your landlord

    Submit your application

    Formally tell your landlord you want to buy more.

    This is the moment staircasing officially starts: you apply to your landlord with your valuation and proof of ID and address. Start it from Stairpay and we will guide you through what is needed — having everything ready is the main thing that shortens the rest of the process.

    30 mins£0–£500

    Some landlords charge an admin fee of up to £500 — many charge nothing. Check your landlord's policy.

    Start your application
  7. Solicitors, then you

    Legal completion

    The lawyers make it official — then your rent drops.

    Your solicitor and your landlord's team handle the contracts and update the ownership split. Once the transaction is complete the new share is yours and your rent reduces, because it is charged only on the share you do not own. If you staircase all the way to 100%, you own your home outright and there is no rent to pay at all.

    6–12 weeks£500–£2,500

    Solicitors typically charge £500–£1,000 (more if you are going to 100%), and a broker £0–£500. Both are usually paid at completion.

Costs and timings here are typical, not promises — your lease, your landlord and the professionals you choose all set their own. Nothing before the valuation costs you anything.

Buy a bigger share with your eyes open

Ask anything and we'll answer it for your own home and lease — or read the questions residents ask before they start, below.

General information about shared ownership, not financial or legal advice. Always check your own lease.
Can I buy more of my home whenever I want?

Usually yes, but your lease may set a smallest share you can buy at once and limit how often you can buy. Some leases also cap the total share you can reach. Check yours before you plan around it.

Check what you could afford
What will a bigger share cost me?

The share is priced from a fresh valuation of your home, not the price you paid when you moved in. Budget for the valuation, legal fees, your landlord's admin fee and any mortgage costs on top of the share itself.

Work out my numbers
How much does my rent drop if I buy more?

You pay rent on the share you do not own, so buying more reduces it in proportion. Your mortgage payment usually rises at the same time, so look at the two together rather than the rent on its own. Create an account to see all your numbers.

Work out my numbers
Do I need a new mortgage to buy more?

Not necessarily. If you have the capital, you can buy the extra share outright with savings and take no new borrowing at all. If you do need to borrow, you either increase your existing mortgage or remortgage to a new deal — which is better depends on your current rate and your lender. A broker who knows shared ownership can tell you what you could borrow, and there is no obligation to borrow the maximum.

Ask about my mortgage
What is 1% staircasing?

It is a feature of the newer shared ownership model that lets you buy an extra 1% of your home each year for your first fifteen years, without the cost and paperwork of a full staircasing transaction. Not every lease includes it, so check yours first. If it does and your landlord is on Stairpay, you will see the option in your account.

Upload your lease
What fees should I budget for?

Typically a valuation, legal fees, your landlord's admin fee, and any mortgage arrangement costs. Stamp duty may also apply, depending on your circumstances and the choice you made about it when you first bought. Your solicitor can confirm which apply to you.

Ask about the fees
Can I go straight to owning 100%?

Many leases allow it if you can afford it, but not all of them do, and some older leases cap the maximum share. Check yours before you plan for it.

Upload your lease

Get the answers you've been looking for

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Reduce your rent

All shared owners can check their staircasing affordability using our calculator. If your housing association is on Stairpay, you can submit your application from within your account, following their own process and using the panels they recommend. Your landlord manages the application from there.

Start staircasing transaction