Sold STC: what subject to contract means

Sold STC means "sold subject to contract": the seller has accepted an offer, but no one is legally bound yet. In England and Wales a sale of land only becomes binding when a written contract is signed by both parties, as section 2 of the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989 requires, and that happens at exchange of contracts. Until then, either side can walk away, and you can still view the property and make an offer.

What sold STC means on Rightmove and Zoopla

When a listing on Rightmove, Zoopla or OnTheMarket switches to "Sold STC" or "SSTC", the agent is telling you that the seller has agreed a price with one buyer and the legal work has started. The two abbreviations mean the same thing: SSTC stands for sold subject to contract, and STC on its own stands for subject to contract. You will also see "Let STC" on rental listings, which means a tenant has been accepted but the tenancy has not been signed.

National Trading Standards defines the term in its guidance on terms used in property advertising (June 2026) as a sale where the seller has accepted an offer subject to contracts being exchanged. It applies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The same guidance says the agent should ask the seller whether marketing should continue, and the listing should say what the seller decided.

Can you still view or make an offer on a sold STC property?

Yes. A sold STC property is still available in law, and estate agents must keep passing offers to the seller. The Estate Agents (Undesirable Practices) (No. 2) Order 1991, Schedule 3 makes it an undesirable practice for an agent to fail to forward details of any offer to the client promptly and in writing, unless the client has said in writing that they do not want offers of that kind. National Trading Standards confirms that this duty runs until contracts are exchanged, unless the seller instructs otherwise in writing.

If you want a sold STC property, ring the agent, ask whether the seller is still accepting viewings, and put your offer in writing. A buyer who is chain-free, mortgage-approved and has a solicitor instructed gives the seller a real reason to reconsider. If the seller has told the agent to stop accepting offers, the agent must say so on the listing.

Sold STC vs under offer

Under offer: an offer has been made and the seller is still considering it. The property normally stays on the market, and further offers are expected.

Sold STC: the seller has accepted an offer and both sides have instructed solicitors or conveyancers. The seller may or may not keep marketing the property, and the listing should make that clear.

Sale agreed: an offer has been accepted but contracts may not yet be prepared, often because the buyer is not ready to proceed.

None of these three stages binds anyone. The step that matters legally is exchange of contracts, when signed contracts are swapped and the buyer pays a deposit.

Why a sold STC sale is not legally binding

Section 2 of the 1989 Act says a contract for the sale of an interest in land must be in writing, contain all the agreed terms and be signed by or for each party. A verbal "yes" to an offer through an agent does not meet that test. Between acceptance and exchange, the buyer's solicitor runs searches, raises enquiries and checks title, the lender values the property, and the buyer usually commissions a survey. This is the conveyancing stage, and any of those checks can lead to a renegotiation or a withdrawal.

Either side can pull out before exchange without paying compensation, although each will have spent money on legal fees, searches and surveys that they will not recover.

Can a sold STC sale fall through?

Yes, and for several reasons: the survey reveals defects, the buyer's mortgage offer falls short or expires, a chain collapses, searches show a problem, or one party changes their mind. Gazumping is the other risk. A seller gazumps a buyer by accepting a higher offer from someone else after agreeing a sale. It is legal in England and Wales because nothing is binding before exchange. Gazundering is the reverse: a buyer cuts their offer shortly before exchange, knowing the seller is committed to an onward purchase.

From working with self-managing landlords, the purchases that collapse late are most often ones where the buyer discovered something about the existing tenancy that should have been checked in week one: a missing gas safety record, an unprotected deposit or a tenancy that does not match what the listing promised.

How long does sold STC last?

There is no legal limit. A property stays sold STC until exchange or until the sale falls through. Rightmove analysis published in summer 2026 put the average time from agreed sale to completion in Great Britain at 154 days, about five months. London was the slowest region at 174 days and Scotland the fastest at 98 days. Exchange comes before completion, so the sold STC stage itself is usually a little shorter than those figures.

Sold STC in Scotland

Scotland does not use "subject to contract" in the same way. The Scottish equivalent is "sold subject to conclusion of missives". Your solicitor makes a formal written offer, the seller's solicitor replies with a qualified acceptance, and the two exchange letters called missives until every condition is agreed. According to mygov.scot, the contract is binding once the missives are concluded, and pulling out after that point can leave you liable for substantial damages.

Missives usually conclude earlier in the process than exchange does in England and Wales, so a buyer is committed sooner. National Trading Standards guidance also says that a Scottish property sold subject to conclusion of missives should no longer be actively marketed.

What sold STC means for landlords and property investors

Buying a buy-to-let: until exchange, you have no right to the property, so keep viewing alternatives and avoid paying for anything non-refundable you would not need on another purchase. Ask the seller's solicitor early for the tenancy agreement, deposit protection certificate, gas safety record, EICR and EPC. Investors buying several properties at once will find the same documents and deadlines are worth keeping in one place, which is what August does for buy-to-let landlords from the day they complete.

Selling a tenanted property: accepting an offer does not change anything for your tenant. The tenancy continues, and the buyer either takes it on or you seek possession under the correct ground. In England, Ground 1A of the Housing Act 1988, inserted by the Renters' Rights Act 2025, lets a landlord seek possession to sell, but not within the first 12 months of the tenancy and only with four months' notice. If you plan to sell with the tenant staying put, our guide to buying and selling with tenants in situ covers pricing, due diligence and handover.

Landlords using August tell us that a complete compliance pack, ready before the property goes on the market, is what keeps a tenanted sale moving between sold STC and exchange.

Frequently asked questions

What does SSTC stand for?

SSTC stands for "sold subject to contract". It means the seller has accepted an offer, but contracts have not been exchanged, so the sale is not yet legally binding.

Is sold STC the same as sold?

No. A property is only sold once contracts are exchanged, and ownership passes at completion. Before exchange, the seller can still accept a different offer and the buyer can still withdraw.

Should a sold STC property still appear on Rightmove?

It can. Many sellers keep the listing live as sold STC in case the sale falls through. National Trading Standards expects the listing to state whether the seller is still accepting viewings and offers.

What does "subject to contract" mean on a letter or email?

Outside property listings, solicitors and agents write "subject to contract" on correspondence to show that the terms discussed are not yet binding. In England and Wales it signals that no contract exists until a formal written agreement is signed and, for land, exchanged.