the right to buy
/ðə ˌraɪt tə ˈbaɪ/
/ðə ˌraɪt tə ˈbaɪ/
- (in Britain) the legal right of people renting council houses to buy them cheaply, introduced by the Conservative government in the 1980 Housing Act. Many people bought their homes, which reduced the amount of cheaper property available for rent.