UK plans eight-week notice before social homes are sold

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The United Kingdom Government has announced plans to “require councils and social housing providers to give eight weeks’ notice before selling social homes outside the sector.”

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The measure is part of new amendments to the Social Housing Bill announced by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on Monday, September 28, 2026.

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This was published on the UK website.

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The government said the proposed “new disposals notification requirement would give councils and other social housing providers a better opportunity to purchase social homes before they are sold outside the sector.”

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It said the move was aimed at retaining social housing stock amid “efforts to strengthen homelessness prevention and ensure that social housing is allocated to people who need it most.”

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Under the amendments, councils will also be given new powers to “refer homeless households to private registered providers” of social housing.

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The government said the measure would strengthen collaboration between housing associations and councils, “reduce reliance on temporary accommodation and improve access to housing for people in greatest need.”

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The Bill will also introduce a new Duty to Collaborate, “requiring public services to work more closely to identify people at risk of homelessness and consider what action they can take within their existing responsibilities to help prevent homelessness.”

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The government said the measures were intended to support councils in addressing homelessness pressures, strengthen partnership working across the housing sector and maintain the long-term supply of social housing.

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It added that it had previously committed “£39bn over 10 years through the Social and Affordable Homes Programme to support the delivery of new social and affordable housing.”

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Councils and housing associations, it said, would continue to play a key role in increasing housing supply and providing homes for local communities.

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