Quick Summary
- OMSE price thresholds depend on property size, not just location — each council area has a separate maximum price for each "apartment size" (number of habitable rooms), from £65,000 for a small Dundee flat to £465,000 for a six-apartment Edinburgh home
- There is no flat income cap — eligibility is an affordability assessment: the administering agent estimates your maximum mortgage at roughly 3× a single salary (2.5× joint) and checks you genuinely cannot buy a suitable home without help
- The Scottish Government takes 10–40% of the price — you fund 60–90% through your deposit and mortgage, and pay nothing on the government's share: no rent, no interest
- Use the LIFT Shared Equity Calculator to model your deposit, mortgage and monthly payment under an equity split
Most guides to Scotland's OMSE scheme quote a single price cap per city — but that's not how the thresholds actually work, and getting it wrong can waste months of house-hunting.
Quick Answer: Open Market Shared Equity (OMSE) is the part of Scotland's LIFT scheme that helps priority buyers purchase an existing home on the open market. The Scottish Government funds 10–40% of the price (the lower of valuation or purchase price); you fund the rest with a deposit and mortgage, paying nothing on the government's share. Maximum prices are set per council area and per property size — check the threshold for the number of habitable rooms you need before you start viewing.
What OMSE is — and where it sits in LIFT
OMSE stands for Open Market Shared Equity. It is one of the two parts of the Scottish Government's LIFT programme (Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers) — the other is NSSE, which covers new-build homes sold through councils and housing associations. If you're new to LIFT, start with our full LIFT scheme guide; this article goes deeper on how OMSE specifically works.
The mechanics are simple: you buy an existing home through the normal Scottish process — Home Report, offer, missives — and the Scottish Government funds a slice of the price, typically between 10% and 40% of the purchase price or the Home Report valuation, whichever is lower. Their stake is recorded against the title as a shared equity agreement. You pay your mortgage on your share only. There is no rent and no interest on the government's portion — a fundamental difference from English shared ownership.
Who can apply
OMSE is open to first-time buyers and a defined set of priority access groups:
- People aged 60 or over with a housing need
- Social renters — tenants of a council or housing association
- Disabled people with a housing need
- Members of the armed forces
- Veterans who left the armed forces within the past two years
- Bereaved partners of service personnel, for up to two years after the loss
The affordability test — there is no flat income limit
A persistent myth about OMSE is that there's a fixed household income cap. Official Scottish Government guidance sets no such figure. Instead, the administering agent runs a detailed affordability assessment:
- Your maximum mortgage is estimated — roughly 3.0× a single salary, or 2.5× joint income for couples
- Your deposit and savings are counted towards what you can contribute
- The result is compared to local prices. If you could afford a suitable home in your area without help, your application is refused. If you can't bridge the gap even with the maximum 40% government stake, OMSE can't help either.
The assessment cuts both ways: OMSE also expects you to take the largest share you can sustain. The government tops up what you genuinely can't fund — it doesn't replace borrowing you could afford. If your finances comfortably support an 85% share, you won't be granted a 60/40 split.
Price thresholds: per area AND per property size
This is the part most buyers get wrong. OMSE maximum prices are not a single cap per city. Each council area has a separate threshold for each apartment size — and "apartments" here means habitable rooms: living rooms and bedrooms count; kitchens, bathrooms, box rooms, utility rooms, hallways and conservatories don't.
So a "3-apartment" home is typically a living room plus two bedrooms; "4-apartment" is a living room plus three bedrooms, and so on.
Current thresholds (effective 1 April 2025) for the four biggest cities:
| Apartment size | Edinburgh | Glasgow | Aberdeen City | Dundee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-apartment (1 bed) | £155,000 | £100,000 | £80,000 | £65,000 |
| 3-apartment (2 bed) | £190,000 | £125,000 | £100,000 | £95,000 |
| 4-apartment (3 bed) | £235,000 | £135,000 | £110,000 | £120,000 |
| 5-apartment (4 bed) | £310,000 | £230,000 | £135,000 | £180,000 |
| 6-apartment (5 bed) | £465,000 | £330,000 | £195,000 | £220,000 |
A few things stand out:
- Edinburgh's thresholds are far higher than people assume. The often-quoted "£230,000 Edinburgh cap" understates what's possible for larger homes — a 5-apartment family house can go to £310,000.
- Small flats have low ceilings. A 1-bedroom Dundee flat is capped at £65,000 — realistic for parts of the city, but worth knowing before you view.
- Rural areas use a different formula. Urban thresholds track the cheapest quarter of local sales; rural thresholds use the median price, so they're relatively more generous. Highland, for instance, is split into three zones with separate tables.
Thresholds are reviewed periodically and some council areas are split into sub-zones (Highland has three; Fife and Stirling each have two). Always check the current table on gov.scot — or ask Link Homes — for your exact area and apartment size before making an offer.
Try it yourself
Model your equity split: enter a price, income, and deposit to estimate your mortgage and monthly payment with a government share.
Open LIFT Shared Equity CalculatorNo sign-up required.
Worked example: a 2-bedroom Edinburgh flat at £190,000
Say you're a first-time buyer with a £6,650 deposit and the affordability assessment supports a 70% share, with the Scottish Government taking 30%.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Purchase price (at the 3-apartment Edinburgh threshold) | £190,000 |
| Scottish Government share (30%) | £57,000 |
| Your share (70%) | £133,000 |
| Your deposit (5% of your share) | £6,650 |
| Mortgage required | £126,350 |
| Monthly payment (4.5%, 25 years) | ~£702/month |
Buying the same flat outright at 95% LTV would need a £9,500 deposit and a £180,500 mortgage costing roughly £1,003/month — so the equity split saves around £300 a month and £2,850 of deposit, in exchange for the government owning 30% of the property's future value.
LBTT is payable on the full price, not just your share. With first-time buyer relief, £190,000 generates a bill of just £300 — run your own figure through the LBTT calculator.
How to apply
OMSE applications across Scotland are handled by a single administering agent, Link Homes (part of Link Group), on behalf of the Scottish Government:
- Email: lift@linksharedequity.co.uk
- Phone: 0330 303 0125
- Post: Watling House, Callendar Business Park, Falkirk FK1 1XR
The sequence:
- Apply to Link Homes with your income, savings, and household details
- Affordability assessment — Link estimates your maximum mortgage and contribution
- Passport letter — if approved, you receive a letter confirming the maximum price you can pay. It has a limited validity period (typically around 12 weeks), so don't apply until you're ready to house-hunt
- Find a home within your threshold — normal estate agents, ESPC, Rightmove
- Mortgage offer — 13 lenders currently participate, including Bank of Scotland, Halifax, Barclays and Lloyds; tell your broker it's a shared equity purchase from the start
- Conveyancing — your solicitor handles the purchase and the shared equity documentation alongside the Scottish Government's solicitor
OMSE runs on annual funding allocations, so the scheme opens and pauses in cycles — purchases generally need to settle within the funding year. If it's marked closed when you check, ask Link Homes when the next application window opens rather than giving up.
OMSE vs NSSE vs English shared ownership
| OMSE (Scotland) | NSSE (Scotland) | Shared ownership (England) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property type | Any existing home on the open market | New-builds from councils/housing associations | Designated new-build/resale units |
| Government/landlord share | 10–40% | Up to 40% | 25–75% |
| Rent on the other share | None | None | Yes — typically 2.75% of its value per year |
| Choice of property | Full open market (within threshold) | Specific developments only | Specific developments only |
| Buying more equity | Yes, in 5%+ steps to 100% (unless a golden share applies) | Yes | Yes ("staircasing"), with rent falling as you buy |
The absence of rent is what makes Scottish shared equity unusually good value: your monthly cost is your mortgage, full stop. The trade-off comes when you sell — covered in detail in our guide to selling or increasing your share in a LIFT home.
Try it yourself
Check what you could borrow on your share — with LBTT and first-time buyer relief built in.
Open Mortgage Affordability CalculatorNo sign-up required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an income limit for OMSE in Scotland?
No flat limit exists in the official guidance. Eligibility is decided by an affordability assessment: your maximum mortgage is estimated at roughly 3× a single salary (2.5× joint), and if that plus your savings would buy a suitable local home unaided, you're ineligible. The test targets the gap between what you can fund and local prices, so the income that qualifies in Edinburgh differs from what qualifies in Dundee.
What does "apartment size" mean in the OMSE thresholds?
The number of habitable rooms: living rooms and bedrooms count; kitchens, bathrooms, box rooms, utility rooms, hallways and conservatories don't. A standard two-bedroom flat with one living room is a "3-apartment" property, so it's the 3-apartment threshold for your council area that applies.
Can I buy any house within the threshold?
Almost — it must be on the open market (homes sold by social landlords are generally excluded), be suitable as your only or main residence, and broadly match your household's needs. The administering agent can question a purchase that's clearly larger than your household requires, since thresholds rise steeply with size.
Do I pay rent or interest on the government's share?
No. The Scottish Government holds equity, not a loan. Nothing is payable month to month on their stake. They take their percentage of the value when you sell, or when you buy them out.
Which lenders accept OMSE mortgages?
Thirteen lenders currently participate, including Bank of Scotland, Halifax, Barclays and Lloyds. Tell your broker it's a Scottish Government shared equity purchase at the outset — a standard application that ignores the equity agreement will fail at underwriting.
Is OMSE open right now?
OMSE runs on annual funding cycles tied to the financial year, and application windows pause when allocations are committed. Check the mygov.scot OMSE page or contact Link Homes (0330 303 0125) for the live position before planning around it.
Related Articles
- LIFT Scheme Scotland: The Full Guide — the complete picture: OMSE, NSSE, eligibility and applications
- Selling or Increasing Your Share in a LIFT Home — what happens at the other end: sale splits, buying out the government, the golden share
- First-Time Buyer Scotland Guide — the whole Scottish buying process, costs and LBTT relief
- LBTT Explained: Scotland's Property Tax — you pay LBTT on the full price, not just your share
- Lifetime ISA for Scottish Property — using a LISA bonus to build the deposit for your equity share
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. Tax rates and thresholds can change — always verify current rates with Revenue Scotland, HMRC, or mygov.scot, and speak to a qualified financial adviser for advice specific to your circumstances.
Sources
- Scottish Government — OMSE price thresholds (effective 1 April 2025): gov.scot/publications/open-market-shared-equity-thresholds
- mygov.scot — OMSE: how it works: mygov.scot/open-market-shared-equity-scheme/how-it-works
- mygov.scot — OMSE: how to apply: mygov.scot/open-market-shared-equity-scheme/how-to-apply
- Scottish Government — OMSE administrative procedures (affordability and means testing): gov.scot/publications/open-market-shared-equity-scheme-administrative-procedures
- Revenue Scotland — LBTT first-time buyer relief: revenue.scot/land-buildings-transaction-tax