Tenant ordered to leave York council house – because they were living in Turkey

A court has ordered a York council tenant out of their home, because they were living abroad.

York County Court has ordered the woman out of her home on Constantine Avenue because she wasn’t using it as her ‘main and principal home’.

 The ruling was made after City of York Council presented evidence from a joint investigation conducted by the housing department and Veritau, the council’s fraud investigation service.

Tenants who intend to leave their property for more than one month are required to notify their estate manager under the terms of their tenancy agreements.

Fraud officers worked in collaboration with the housing officers to investigate this case, after a routine visit to the property led to concerns that the tenant was not in the country. The investigation found that the tenant had not used their council property as their principal home for several years. Instead they spent the majority of their time in Turkey.

The tenant contested the ending of their tenancy and the matter was heard by York County Court in July 2021.

Deputy District Judge Madeline Nix ruled in favour of the council stating that the tenant’s principal home was abroad and not in York. The court granted a possession order, giving the tenant six weeks to surrender the property back to City of York Council.

Councillor Denise Craghill, executive member for Housing and Safer Neighbourhoods, said: “Social housing must be protected and reserved for those who need it most. This tenant had not been using their council property correctly for a number of years during which time others have been waiting to be housed.

“The possession order means that this property can now go to someone who really needs it. The council cannot tolerate misuse of its properties. We will take action to prevent abuses and recover homes where appropriate.”