Understanding Co-Ownership

Buying a home in Northern Ireland can feel out of reach - especially if you're facing high house prices, struggling to save a deposit, or just starting out. That's where we come in.

Co-Ownership offers a simpler, more affordable way to become a homeowner. As Northern Ireland's shared ownership provider, if you can't afford to buy a home outright right now, we can help by buying part of it with you.

Who we help

You might be a first-time buyer who can comfortably afford monthly mortgage payments but doesn't have a large enough deposit saved, or can't quite stretch to the full price of a home in today's market. Perhaps you're returning to the housing market after a life change like a relationship breakdown, redundancy, or relocating to a new area and starting fresh. Maybe you're approaching retirement or are already retired, and want a home that's secure and manageable for this stage of life, without the commitment of a long mortgage. Or you might just need more time - to build your savings, strengthen your credit history, or get your finances in the right shape for a mortgage application.

Whatever your situation, Co-Ownership gives you a practical, flexible route to buying a home that works for your budget and fits your life. We're here to bridge the gap between where you are now and where you want to be.

Find out more about who applies for Co-Ownership and whether it's right for you at Who is Co-Ownership for?

How it works

With Co-Ownership, you don't need to buy 100% of a home to own it. Instead, you buy a share - anywhere between 50% and 90% - and we buy the rest. Depending on which product you apply for, you’ll either use a mortgage or savings to purchase your share. If you opt for a mortgage, then it’ll be for the amount required to cover only your share of the property rather than the full thing, keeping monthly repayments low. And you pay Co-Ownership a monthly rent on the share of the home that we own.

The real flexibility comes later. You can buy more of your home whenever you're ready - whether that's in small 5% steps or more, all the way up to full ownership. There's no pressure and no set timeline. As your income grows or your circumstances improve, you're in control of how and when you increase your share.

Throughout it all, your home is still your home. You choose it, you live in it, you make it yours. We just share the cost to help you get there sooner.