Right to buy
Councils are currently focused on combating Right to Buy fraud and lobbying for stronger restrictions to protect social housing stock.
Councils are actively working to prevent fraud related to the Right to Buy scheme. Lambeth Council recovered over £1.2 million in fraudulent discounts and 79 tenancies in July 2026, a report to the Audit and Risk Committee stated. In November 2025, Harrow's Corporate Anti-Fraud Team was behind target on disrupting fraudulent applications, according to a report to the Governance, Audit, Risk Management and Standards Committee. Enfield Council also prevented a fraudulent application in July 2025, as noted in its Annual Internal Audit and Counter Fraud Report.
The impact of the Right to Buy scheme, which allows council tenants to purchase their homes at a discount, on social housing stock is also a key discussion point. Lambeth Council is set to lobby the government for stronger restrictions on the scheme, with its Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee discussing the policy's impact in October 2025. The council is prioritising the use of receipts from sales to deliver social rent homes.
Key facts
- Lambeth Council recovered over £1.2 million in fraudulent Right to Buy discounts in 2025/26. Source
- Lambeth Council recovered 79 tenancies through investigations into tenancy fraud in 2025/26. Source
- Harrow's Corporate Anti-Fraud Team was behind target on disrupting fraudulent Right to Buy applications in November 2025. Source
- Lambeth Council discussed the impact of changes to the government's Right to Buy policy in October 2025. Source
- Enfield Council prevented a fraudulent Right to Buy application in July 2025. Source
About this summary
This summary was written automatically from our published stories and the council meeting records they draw on, with background from Wikipedia. It describes what councils have discussed and decided; it does not take a view on any decision. Each key fact links to the story it comes from. Updated 30 September 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email community@opencouncil.network.