A recent warning issued by The Metropolitan Police, reported fraudsters were stealing the personal details of landlords, whose properties are managed by letting agents, in order to sell the property or raise a mortgage against it. In response to this, Rushbrook & Rathbone, specialists in corporate relocation and tenancy management services, are advising landlords and absent owners to enter a new restriction on the title of their home in order to avoid such fraudulent activity.

The new Form LL, which was recently launched by the Land Registry, allows landlords to enter a free restriction requiring a solicitor or conveyancer to certify that they are satisfied that the person selling or mortgaging the property is the true owner of the property.

Commenting, Sarah Rushbrook, Managing Director of Rushbrook & Rathbone said: “No property should ever be brought to market without those responsible for selling it, carrying out a Land Registry check to see who is on the deeds. However, complex fraud cases are becoming increasingly prevalent with the use of the internet, so landlords should be seeking expert advice on best practice to prevent such scenarios.

“The new Form LL is an excellent and simple solution to what could become an increasingly common problem as more and more people turn to the rental market to provide a solution to their changing circumstances. We deal with a large number of relocation cases where properties may be managed vacant or tenanted and these types of properties are at greatest risk so we will advise absent owners to put these restrictions in place as an additional preventative measure.”