Open Market Shared Equity (OMSE) price thresholds queries: FOI release

Information requested

Information relating to the operation and suitability of Open Market Shared Equity (OMSE) price thresholds specifically within Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian.

Response

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested as we do not hold or collect the data. Please note below a response to your questions where we are able to respond, with an explanation to those we cannot.

1. Alignment with Actual Market Data (All Apartment Sizes)

• The most recent lower quartile property prices used to calculate OMSE thresholds for 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 apartment properties.
• OMSE thresholds are uprated using Registers of Scotland house price data, which is not available by apartment size. The most recent data can be found at House price statistics - Registers of Scotland. At the time of the latest uprating of OMSE thresholds (for 2025-26), the most recent data from this source covered up to the end of 2024.
• Any comparison (if held) between OMSE thresholds and actual lower quartile sale prices for each apartment size.
• This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested as we do not collect or hold this data.

2. Effective Market Access

• Any analysis of the proportion of properties within OMSE thresholds in these areas that are mortgageable and in a reasonable state of repair.
• This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested as we do not collect or hold this data.

3. Impact of “Offers Over” System

• Any analysis held on the difference between Home Report valuation and final sale price, and the proportion of purchases exceeding OMSE thresholds due to “offers over.”
• This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested as we do not collect or hold this data.

4. Data Sources and Methodology

• Confirmation of the baseline dataset used to calculate thresholds (including whether 2015–16 Registers of Scotland data remains in use) and how annual uprating is applied.
• As there is no routine publication which provides purchases prices by apartment size, a resource-intensive matching exercise was undertaken to link 2015-16 Registers of Scotland data on house prices with Scottish Assessors data on number of apartments. Subsequently, thresholds have been uplifted using Registers of Scotland house-price growth across all apartment sizes in the relevant area, using the lower-quartile price for urban areas and median price for rural areas. As these uplifts are based on historic data, a further uplift is applied for the coming year, e.g. for the 2025-26 thresholds, all thresholds were further uplifted by 2.7%, i.e. rolling forward the growth rate of 2.7% in the median Scottish house price experienced in 2024.

5. Regional Pressure and Policy Review

• Any internal reports or analysis (past 3 years) specifically referencing affordability pressures in Midlothian, East Lothian or West Lothian, or whether OMSE thresholds continue to reflect the intended lower quartile of the market.
• This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested as we do not collect or hold this data.

6. Outcomes and Unmet Demand

• Data held for these three local authority areas on the number of successful OMSE purchases and any recorded instances of applicants unable to purchase due to lack of suitable properties within threshold.
• This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested on reasons why passports expire as we do not collect or hold this data. Link, who administer the OMSE scheme on behalf of the Scottish Government have however provided information on sales data for the 3 years you have requested, which is attached as a separate document.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.