Right to Buy fraud
Right to Buy fraud happens when you apply for a discount to purchase your council home and you:
- give us false information
- have unlawfully applied for the discount where the property has been subject to tenancy fraud such as sub-letting or not using the property as your main and principle home
- have entered into an agreement with a third party to buy the property on your behalf for a cash incentive.
There are companies and individuals that offer tenants money or an incentive to apply to buy your council property on their behalf. You must not enter into this deal. You may become evicted and have no home as a result. You will not be rehoused and will have to pay the discount back to us.
Our Audit and Counter Fraud Team investigate all applications by undertaking internal and external enquiries to ensure all applications are valid. If you commit fraud on your application, it could result in eviction and criminal prosecution.
It is a criminal offence to buy a Medway Council property if you know you are not eligible.
What can happen if you’re found out
If you're suspected of fraud, you could:
- be interviewed under caution
- be arrested and have your property searched by police.
Where it is proven that you have:
- made false statements to us
- failed to report changes in circumstances that have resulted in you gaining a council tenancy
- failed to report changes in circumstances that have resulted in you gaining a larger property
- sub-let for profit
- parted with possession of your council property
- abandoned your property,
We will:
- remove you from the housing register
- evict you from the property
- give you a caution
- apply for an unlawful profit order – civil and criminal proceedings
- start prosecution
- confiscate property and assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Report fraud
If you suspect somebody is committing Right to Buy fraud, you can report this to us on our website or email the details to investigation.team@medway.gov.uk.