FOI request (FOIR-749541482)

Council activity buying homes

Requested Tue 16 September 2025
Responded Tue 21 October 2025

These questions relate to the council buying homes, either homes that were sold under the Right to Buy, or on the open market.

Please do not include new build homes. You should have received and hopefully replied to a previous FOI I sent about new build over the summer.

My request relates to all tenures of housing, not just social housing (for example, market sale, private rent, either directly or via a housing company).

1. In the 2024/25 financial year (1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025) how many homes formerly sold under the Right to Buy did the council company buy back? If some/all these homes were bought by a council-owned housing company, please can you let me know and break down how many this applies to.

a. Please can you provide a breakdown of how these homes have subsequently been re-let? For example, how many have been re-let at council/social rent? How many at affordable or London affordable rent? Have any been turned into temporary accommodation? Or otherwise used perhaps renovated or demolished as part of a regeneration project?

2. In the 2024/25 financial year (1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025) in total how many 'second hand' (meaning not a new build) homes did the council buy off the open market?

a. Please can you provide a breakdown of how these homes have subsequently been re-let. For example, how many have been re-let at council/social rent? How many at affordable or London affordable rent? Have any been turned into temporary accommodation? Or otherwise used (perhaps as part of a regeneration project?)

3. In the 2024/25 financial year (1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025) how many 'second hand' (meaning not a new build) homes did any companies owned by the council buy off the open market in total?

a. Please can you provide a breakdown of how these homes have subsequently been re-let. For example, how many have been re-let at council/social rent? How many at affordable or London affordable rent? Have any been turned into temporary accommodation? Or otherwise used (perhaps as part of a regeneration project?)

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Response

Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.

1. Hastings Borough Council purchased 21 homes in 2024/25 that were ex-LA stock. We did not record how many of these were sold under the Right to Buy.

a. 14 have been let at Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates and 7 at Affordable Rent, capped at LHA.

2. 37

a. 26 have been let at Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates and 11 at Affordable Rent, capped at LHA.

3. 0

a. Not applicable