Staircasing is the process of buying additional shares in your shared ownership home, increasing your ownership percentage over time. It is one of the most important features of the shared ownership scheme — and understanding how it works can help you plan your path to full homeownership.

Staircasing Explained

What Is Staircasing?

When you buy a shared ownership home, you initially purchase a share of the property — typically between 25% and 75% — and pay rent to the housing association on the portion you don’t own. Staircasing allows you to buy additional shares over time, reducing the rent you pay and increasing your equity in the property.

You can usually staircase in increments of 10% or more, depending on your lease terms. Once you reach 100% ownership, you own the property outright and stop paying rent to the housing association entirely.

When Can You Staircase?

Most shared ownership leases allow you to staircase after 12 months from your initial purchase. However, the exact timing depends on:

Your lease terms — check the staircasing clause in your lease for specific conditions
Your financial position — you will need to either remortgage or use savings to fund the additional share
The housing association’s process — they will arrange for an independent valuation before any purchase

Some newer leases funded by Homes England (from April 2021 onwards) allow you to staircase in smaller increments of 1% at a time for the first 15 years. This is designed to make staircasing more accessible for buyers who cannot afford large lump-sum purchases.

The Staircasing Process Step by Step

1. Notify Your Housing Association

Contact your housing association to express your interest in staircasing. They will explain their process and any specific requirements.

2. Independent Valuation

The housing association will appoint a RICS-qualified surveyor to carry out an independent valuation of your home at its current market value. This valuation determines the price you will pay for the additional share.

Important: The valuation reflects the property’s current market value, not what you originally paid. If property prices have risen, each share will cost more than it would have at your initial purchase. Conversely, if prices have fallen, you may be able to staircase at a lower rate.

The valuation is typically valid for three months from the date of the report.

3. Arrange Funding

You will need to fund the additional share purchase. Most buyers do this by:

Remortgaging — taking out a larger mortgage to cover the additional share
Using savings — paying for the additional share outright
A combination of both

You will need to speak to a mortgage adviser to understand your options and ensure you can afford the new monthly payments. Learn more in our guide to shared ownership mortgages.

4. Instruct a Solicitor

A solicitor or licensed conveyancer will handle the legal work, including updating the lease to reflect your new ownership percentage and registering the change with the Land Registry.

5. Completion

Once the legal work is complete, the additional share is transferred to you. Your rent to the housing association will be reduced to reflect the smaller unowned portion.

How Much Does Staircasing Cost?

Staircasing involves several costs beyond the price of the additional share itself:

Cost	Typical amount
Independent valuation fee	£300–£500
Solicitor or conveyancer fees	£800–£1,500
Mortgage arrangement fee (if remortgaging)	£0–£1,000
Stamp duty (on the additional share)	Varies — see below
Land Registry fee	£20–£270

Stamp Duty on Staircasing

Stamp duty on staircasing depends on how you chose to pay stamp duty at your initial purchase:

If you elected to pay stamp duty on the full market value at initial purchase — you will pay no further stamp duty on staircasing transactions, regardless of how many times you staircase
If you paid stamp duty only on your initial share — you will pay stamp duty on each staircasing transaction, but only on the amount of the additional share being purchased. However, once your total ownership reaches 80% or more, stamp duty is calculated on the full market value at that point

This is an important decision to make at the time of your initial purchase. Our guide on costs of buying a shared ownership home covers the initial stamp duty options in more detail, and our dedicated shared ownership stamp duty guide explains both options with worked examples.

Final Staircasing: Reaching 100% Ownership

When you staircase to 100%, this is known as final staircasing. At this point:

You own the property outright and stop paying rent to the housing association
Your lease may convert to a standard long leasehold or, in some cases, freehold
You can sell the property on the open market without the housing association’s involvement (subject to any remaining lease terms)
If you are in a house (not a flat), you may be entitled to acquire the freehold

Final staircasing is a significant milestone, but it is not always the most cost-effective decision — particularly if property values have risen significantly since your initial purchase. It is worth calculating whether the cost of buying the remaining share outweighs the benefit of no longer paying rent.

Pros and Cons of Staircasing

Advantages

Reduced rent — each additional share you buy lowers the rent you pay to the housing association
Increased equity — you build more equity in your home, which benefits you if property values increase
Full ownership — reaching 100% means no more rent and full control over your property
Selling flexibility — owning a larger share (or 100%) makes your property easier to sell on the open market

Disadvantages

Market value risk — you buy additional shares at the current market value, which may have risen significantly since your initial purchase
Costs add up — valuation fees, solicitor fees, and mortgage costs apply each time you staircase
Stamp duty considerations — depending on your initial election, you may face additional stamp duty
Opportunity cost — the money used for staircasing could be invested elsewhere; consider whether the rent savings justify the upfront cost
Negative equity risk — if property values fall, you may have paid more for earlier shares than they are currently worth

Is Staircasing Right for You?

Staircasing makes the most financial sense when:

The rent you pay on the unowned share is high relative to what you would pay in additional mortgage costs
You plan to stay in the property long term and benefit from reduced rent over many years
Property values are stable or rising — buying shares in a rising market means each future share will cost more, so buying sooner can be advantageous
You can comfortably afford the upfront costs without stretching your finances

Before making a decision, speak to an FCA-regulated mortgage adviser who can model the costs for your specific situation. You can also use our advanced calculator to project how staircasing affects your monthly costs over time.

To check whether staircasing is affordable for you, use our affordability guide or our advanced calculator.

For a broader comparison of shared ownership and full ownership costs, see our guide on shared ownership vs full ownership.