{"id":599,"date":"2026-10-25T13:44:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T12:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/knowledge-base\/domicile-fraud-versus-property-fraud\/"},"modified":"2026-11-03T14:30:43","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T13:30:43","slug":"domicile-fraud-versus-property-fraud","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/domicile-fraud-versus-property-fraud\/","title":{"rendered":"Domicile fraud versus property fraud: two investigations, two types of evidence"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-artikelkop bb-artikelkop--beeld\" id=\"artikelkop\" data-bg=\"primary\" style=\"--bb-ak-img:url(https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/kb-domiciliefraude.webp)\"><div class=\"bb-container bb-artikelkop__inhoud\"><p class=\"bb-kicker\">KNOWLEDGE BASE \u00b7 OCMW AND LIVING WAGE<\/p><h1>Domicile fraud versus property fraud: two investigations, two types of evidence<\/h1><p class=\"bb-artikelkop__meta\">Reading time 6 minutes \u00b7 updated October 2026<\/p><div class=\"bb-artikelkop__kort\"><p class=\"bb-kicker\">In brief<\/p><\/p>\n<p>Domicile fraud and property fraud are often mentioned in the same breath, but they are different things. In domicile fraud, the stated address or household composition is incorrect. In property fraud, someone conceals that they own a home or land. You investigate the first in Belgium, the second in the country where the property is located. This article sets out the differences and shows when the two coincide.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/section><nav class=\"bb-breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><ol><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/\">Home<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/\">Knowledge base<\/a><\/li><li><span aria-current=\"page\">Domicile fraud versus property fraud: two investigations, two types of evidence<\/span><\/li><\/ol><\/div><\/nav><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-kolommen\" id=\"inhoud\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><div class=\"bb-kolommen__grid\"><div class=\"bb-kolom bb-kolom--hoofd\"><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"wat-domiciliefraude-is\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>What domicile fraud is<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><\/p>\n<p>Domicile fraud is stating an incorrect living situation in order to obtain or retain an advantage. The best-known forms:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>a benefit recipient states that they live alone while living with someone, in order to receive the higher amount for single persons;<\/li>\n<li>a social housing tenant lets someone live with them without reporting it, so that the rent remains too low;<\/li>\n<li>someone is registered at an address where they do not actually live, for example because they spend most of their time abroad.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The investigation into domicile fraud takes place in Belgium: home visits by the social worker or the tenant support officer, reports from the neighbourhood police officer, water and energy consumption data, reports from neighbours. The evidence is a finding about the actual living situation at a given moment.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"wat-eigendomsfraude-is\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>What property fraud is<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><\/p>\n<p>Property fraud is concealing real estate in order to obtain an advantage to which one is not entitled given that ownership. For a social housing tenant, this concerns the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/property-condition-flemish-housing-code\/\">property ownership condition<\/a>: anyone who owns a home or building land does not qualify. For a living wage (leefloon) recipient, it concerns the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/means-test-living-wage\/\">means test<\/a>: real estate is a resource that counts.<\/p>\n<p>Property in Belgium usually comes to light through the data of the FOD Financi\u00ebn (FPS Finance). Property fraud therefore in practice mainly involves real estate abroad: an apartment on the coast, an inherited share of a parental home, a piece of agricultural land, in Italy, Morocco, Poland or T\u00fcrkiye. That property is not recorded in any Belgian register.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"verschillende-bewijzen\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>Different types of evidence<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><\/p>\n<p>The most important difference lies in the evidence. A home visit says nothing about a property abroad, and a land registry extract from abroad says nothing about who sleeps in the social housing unit in Antwerp.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/section><div class=\"bb-tabel-wrap\" id=\"tabel\"><table class=\"bb-tabel bb-tabel--vergelijk\"><thead><tr><th scope=\"col\"><\/th><th scope=\"col\">Domicile fraud<\/th><th scope=\"col\">Property fraud<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><th scope=\"row\">Question<\/th><td>Where does the person concerned live, and with whom?<\/td><td>What does the person concerned own, and where?<\/td><\/tr><tr><th scope=\"row\">Place of investigation<\/th><td>Belgium<\/td><td>the country where the property is located<\/td><\/tr><tr><th scope=\"row\">Evidence<\/th><td>on-site findings, consumption, statements<\/td><td>extract from the property register, deed, appraisal<\/td><\/tr><tr><th scope=\"row\">Who investigates<\/th><td>social worker, neighbourhood police officer, supervisory officer<\/td><td>lawyer or notary on site, via a specialised agency<\/td><\/tr><tr><th scope=\"row\">Durability<\/th><td>snapshot, can be contested<\/td><td>register entry on the date of consultation; evidentiary value assessed per case<\/td><\/tr><tr><th scope=\"row\">Consequence<\/th><td>recalculation, recovery, possibly termination<\/td><td>recovery of reduction or support, termination, sometimes criminal complaint<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"wie-onderzoekt-wat\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>Who investigates what<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><\/p>\n<p>Domicile fraud belongs with the organisation&#8217;s own service: the social worker of the OCMW (public centre for social welfare), the tenant support officer of the housing company, the neighbourhood police officer and, where necessary, the supervisory officer or the social inspectorate. It requires local knowledge and presence.<\/p>\n<p>An in-house service cannot investigate property fraud abroad itself. A Belgian official has no access to a foreign land registry and may not carry out investigations there either. This requires an agency that works with lawyers in the country itself, who are competent to consult the registers. Bureaubuitenland Belgi\u00eb does precisely that: a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/pre-check\/\">pre-check<\/a> of usually 1 to 2 weeks and, if you decide to do so after a positive outcome, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/full-investigation\/\">full in-depth investigation<\/a> with documents and translation. We do not carry out observations or home visits; that is not necessary to demonstrate ownership.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"wanneer-beide-samengaan\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>When the two coincide<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><\/p>\n<p>In practice, the two forms often coincide. The typical situation: a tenant or client spends months of the year abroad, in a home that belongs to them. The domicile investigation establishes the absence, but cannot prove where the person concerned does live and why. The property investigation can substantiate that if it turns out that the home abroad is registered in their name. For the living wage (leefloon), specific rules apply: see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/living-wage-stay-abroad\/\">living wage and stays abroad<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, an established long-term absence is often the concrete suspicion that justifies a property investigation. It therefore makes sense to put both tracks side by side:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>In the domicile investigation, establish how often and for how long the person concerned is absent and to which country they travel.<\/li>\n<li>On that basis, have a pre-check carried out in that country.<\/li>\n<li>Combine the two findings in the case file: absence plus ownership forms a coherent case; the council, the justice of the peace or the labour court assesses what that means.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>An example of that combination is the case of De Zonnige Woonst in Hamme, where the housing company first established persistent rumours and long-term stays abroad and then had the ownership investigated. The justice of the peace accepted the evidence in 2019 in that specific case; see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/case-law\/judgment-zonnige-woonst\/\">the explanation by De Zonnige Woonst<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>Sources: <a href=\"https:\/\/primabook.mi-is.be\/nl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Primabook of the POD Maatschappelijke Integratie (PPS Social Integration)<\/a> (social investigation); <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vlaanderen.be\/wonen-in-vlaanderen\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wonen in Vlaanderen<\/a> (supervision of social housing); <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vrt.be\/vrtnws\/nl\/2019\/06\/18\/vrederechter-geeft-sociale-woningmaatschappij-gelijk-die-sociale\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">VRT NWS, 18 June 2019<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/section><\/div><div class=\"bb-kolom bb-kolom--zij\"><aside class=\"bb-kaart bb-ihk\" id=\"in-het-kort\"><p class=\"bb-kicker\">Overview<\/p><h2 class=\"bb-ihk__kop\">In brief<\/h2><dl class=\"bb-ihk__lijst\"><div><dt>Lead time<\/dt><dd>usually 1\u20132 weeks<\/dd><\/div><\/dl><p class=\"bb-ihk__knop\"><a class=\"bb-knop\" href=\"\/en\/request-a-pre-check\/\">Request a pre-check<\/a><\/p><ul class=\"bb-ihk__trust\"><li><span class=\"bb-icoon material-symbols-outlined\" aria-hidden=\"true\">check_circle<\/span><span>Carried out in accordance with the GDPR<\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/aside><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--panel bb-faq-sectie\" id=\"faq\" data-bg=\"panel\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2><div class=\"bb-faq\"><div class=\"bb-faq__item\"><h3 class=\"bb-faq__vraag\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-controls=\"faq-faq-0\" id=\"faq-faq-0-knop\">Is a home visit sufficient to demonstrate property fraud?<span class=\"bb-faq__icoon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"bb-faq__antwoord\" id=\"faq-faq-0\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-faq-0-knop\"><p>No. A home visit says something about the living situation in Belgium, not about property abroad. For that, an extract from the property register of the country concerned is needed.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"bb-faq__item\"><h3 class=\"bb-faq__vraag\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"faq-faq-1\" id=\"faq-faq-1-knop\">May a social worker consult the foreign land registry themselves?<span class=\"bb-faq__icoon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"bb-faq__antwoord\" id=\"faq-faq-1\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-faq-1-knop\" hidden><p>In most countries they may not: the registers are not public or are only accessible to competent persons on site. That is why we work with local lawyers.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"bb-faq__item\"><h3 class=\"bb-faq__vraag\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"faq-faq-2\" id=\"faq-faq-2-knop\">What if the person concerned says the home belongs to their parents?<span class=\"bb-faq__icoon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"bb-faq__antwoord\" id=\"faq-faq-2\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-faq-2-knop\" hidden><p>Then we report what the register says. If the property is registered in the parents' name, the person concerned has no ownership; if an inherited share is registered in their name, that does constitute ownership.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-kaarten bb-kaarten--kb\" id=\"gerelateerd\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>See also<\/h2><div class=\"bb-grid-3\"><article class=\"bb-kaart bb-kaart--kb\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"bb-kaart__beeld\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/ocmw-768x429.webp\" alt=\"For OCMWs\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">For OCMWs<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">Asset investigation for OCMWs: is real estate abroad relevant to a living wage file? Investigation via local lawyers, in 45 countries.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/for-public-social-welfare-centres\/\">Read more <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/article><article class=\"bb-kaart bb-kaart--kb\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"bb-kaart__beeld\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/woonmaatschappijen-768x429.webp\" alt=\"For housing companies\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">For housing companies<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">Asset investigation for housing companies: does a social tenant own real estate abroad? Pre-check and reporting for your case.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/for-housing-companies\/\">Read more <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/article><article class=\"bb-kaart bb-kaart--kb\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"bb-kaart__beeld\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/pre-check-768x429.webp\" alt=\"Pre-check\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">Pre-check<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">Pre-check: an initial investigation into real estate abroad in the name of the person concerned. Usually 1 to 2 weeks, quotation in advance.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/pre-check\/\">Read more <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/article><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-cta bb-cta--beeld\" id=\"cta\" data-bg=\"primary\" style=\"--bb-cta-img:url(https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/cta-band.webp)\"><div class=\"bb-container bb-cta__inhoud\"><h2 class=\"bb-cta__kop\">Discuss your case<\/h2><p class=\"bb-cta__tekst\">Do you have a question about real estate abroad? We are happy to discuss which service suits your case. You receive clarity in advance about the assignment, the lead time and the costs.<\/p><p class=\"bb-cta__knop\"><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--invers\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/contact\/\">Discuss your case<\/a><\/p><p class=\"bb-cta__contact\"><a href=\"tel:+31851110123\">+31 (0)85 111 01 23<\/a><span aria-hidden=\"true\"> \u00b7 <\/span><a href=\"mailto:info@bureaubuitenland.be\">info@bureaubuitenland.be<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/section><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1443,"parent":586,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-599","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail"],"bb_rendered":"<section class=\"bb-sectie bb-artikelkop bb-artikelkop--beeld\" id=\"artikelkop\" data-bg=\"primary\" style=\"--bb-ak-img:url(https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/kb-domiciliefraude.webp)\"><div class=\"bb-container bb-artikelkop__inhoud\"><p class=\"bb-kicker\">KNOWLEDGE BASE \u00b7 OCMW AND LIVING WAGE<\/p><h1>Domicile fraud versus property fraud: two investigations, two types of evidence<\/h1><p class=\"bb-artikelkop__meta\">Reading time 6 minutes \u00b7 updated October 2026<\/p><div class=\"bb-artikelkop__kort\"><p class=\"bb-kicker\">In brief<\/p><p>Domicile fraud and property fraud are often mentioned in the same breath, but they are different things. In domicile fraud, the stated address or household composition is incorrect. In property fraud, someone conceals that they own a home or land. You investigate the first in Belgium, the second in the country where the property is located. This article sets out the differences and shows when the two coincide.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><nav class=\"bb-breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><ol><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/\">Home<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/\">Knowledge base<\/a><\/li><li><span aria-current=\"page\">Domicile fraud versus property fraud: two investigations, two types of evidence<\/span><\/li><\/ol><\/div><\/nav><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-kolommen\" id=\"inhoud\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><div class=\"bb-kolommen__grid\"><div class=\"bb-kolom bb-kolom--hoofd\"><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"wat-domiciliefraude-is\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>What domicile fraud is<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><p>Domicile fraud is stating an incorrect living situation in order to obtain or retain an advantage. The best-known forms:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>a benefit recipient states that they live alone while living with someone, in order to receive the higher amount for single persons;<\/li>\n<li>a social housing tenant lets someone live with them without reporting it, so that the rent remains too low;<\/li>\n<li>someone is registered at an address where they do not actually live, for example because they spend most of their time abroad.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The investigation into domicile fraud takes place in Belgium: home visits by the social worker or the tenant support officer, reports from the neighbourhood police officer, water and energy consumption data, reports from neighbours. The evidence is a finding about the actual living situation at a given moment.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"wat-eigendomsfraude-is\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>What property fraud is<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><p>Property fraud is concealing real estate in order to obtain an advantage to which one is not entitled given that ownership. For a social housing tenant, this concerns the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/property-condition-flemish-housing-code\/\">property ownership condition<\/a>: anyone who owns a home or building land does not qualify. For a living wage (leefloon) recipient, it concerns the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/means-test-living-wage\/\">means test<\/a>: real estate is a resource that counts.<\/p>\n<p>Property in Belgium usually comes to light through the data of the FOD Financi\u00ebn (FPS Finance). Property fraud therefore in practice mainly involves real estate abroad: an apartment on the coast, an inherited share of a parental home, a piece of agricultural land, in Italy, Morocco, Poland or T\u00fcrkiye. That property is not recorded in any Belgian register.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"verschillende-bewijzen\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>Different types of evidence<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><p>The most important difference lies in the evidence. A home visit says nothing about a property abroad, and a land registry extract from abroad says nothing about who sleeps in the social housing unit in Antwerp.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><div class=\"bb-tabel-wrap\" id=\"tabel\"><table class=\"bb-tabel bb-tabel--vergelijk\"><thead><tr><th scope=\"col\"><\/th><th scope=\"col\">Domicile fraud<\/th><th scope=\"col\">Property fraud<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><th scope=\"row\">Question<\/th><td>Where does the person concerned live, and with whom?<\/td><td>What does the person concerned own, and where?<\/td><\/tr><tr><th scope=\"row\">Place of investigation<\/th><td>Belgium<\/td><td>the country where the property is located<\/td><\/tr><tr><th scope=\"row\">Evidence<\/th><td>on-site findings, consumption, statements<\/td><td>extract from the property register, deed, appraisal<\/td><\/tr><tr><th scope=\"row\">Who investigates<\/th><td>social worker, neighbourhood police officer, supervisory officer<\/td><td>lawyer or notary on site, via a specialised agency<\/td><\/tr><tr><th scope=\"row\">Durability<\/th><td>snapshot, can be contested<\/td><td>register entry on the date of consultation; evidentiary value assessed per case<\/td><\/tr><tr><th scope=\"row\">Consequence<\/th><td>recalculation, recovery, possibly termination<\/td><td>recovery of reduction or support, termination, sometimes criminal complaint<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"wie-onderzoekt-wat\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>Who investigates what<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><p>Domicile fraud belongs with the organisation's own service: the social worker of the OCMW (public centre for social welfare), the tenant support officer of the housing company, the neighbourhood police officer and, where necessary, the supervisory officer or the social inspectorate. It requires local knowledge and presence.<\/p>\n<p>An in-house service cannot investigate property fraud abroad itself. A Belgian official has no access to a foreign land registry and may not carry out investigations there either. This requires an agency that works with lawyers in the country itself, who are competent to consult the registers. Bureaubuitenland Belgi\u00eb does precisely that: a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/pre-check\/\">pre-check<\/a> of usually 1 to 2 weeks and, if you decide to do so after a positive outcome, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/full-investigation\/\">full in-depth investigation<\/a> with documents and translation. We do not carry out observations or home visits; that is not necessary to demonstrate ownership.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"wanneer-beide-samengaan\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>When the two coincide<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><p>In practice, the two forms often coincide. The typical situation: a tenant or client spends months of the year abroad, in a home that belongs to them. The domicile investigation establishes the absence, but cannot prove where the person concerned does live and why. The property investigation can substantiate that if it turns out that the home abroad is registered in their name. For the living wage (leefloon), specific rules apply: see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/living-wage-stay-abroad\/\">living wage and stays abroad<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, an established long-term absence is often the concrete suspicion that justifies a property investigation. It therefore makes sense to put both tracks side by side:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>In the domicile investigation, establish how often and for how long the person concerned is absent and to which country they travel.<\/li>\n<li>On that basis, have a pre-check carried out in that country.<\/li>\n<li>Combine the two findings in the case file: absence plus ownership forms a coherent case; the council, the justice of the peace or the labour court assesses what that means.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>An example of that combination is the case of De Zonnige Woonst in Hamme, where the housing company first established persistent rumours and long-term stays abroad and then had the ownership investigated. The justice of the peace accepted the evidence in 2019 in that specific case; see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/case-law\/judgment-zonnige-woonst\/\">the explanation by De Zonnige Woonst<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>Sources: <a href=\"https:\/\/primabook.mi-is.be\/nl\">Primabook of the POD Maatschappelijke Integratie (PPS Social Integration)<\/a> (social investigation); <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vlaanderen.be\/wonen-in-vlaanderen\">Wonen in Vlaanderen<\/a> (supervision of social housing); <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vrt.be\/vrtnws\/nl\/2019\/06\/18\/vrederechter-geeft-sociale-woningmaatschappij-gelijk-die-sociale\/\">VRT NWS, 18 June 2019<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><\/div><div class=\"bb-kolom bb-kolom--zij\"><aside class=\"bb-kaart bb-ihk\" id=\"in-het-kort\"><p class=\"bb-kicker\">Overview<\/p><h2 class=\"bb-ihk__kop\">In brief<\/h2><dl class=\"bb-ihk__lijst\"><div><dt>Lead time<\/dt><dd>usually 1\u20132 weeks<\/dd><\/div><\/dl><p class=\"bb-ihk__knop\"><a class=\"bb-knop\" href=\"\/en\/request-a-pre-check\/\">Request a pre-check<\/a><\/p><ul class=\"bb-ihk__trust\"><li><span class=\"bb-icoon material-symbols-outlined\" aria-hidden=\"true\">check_circle<\/span><span>Carried out in accordance with the GDPR<\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/aside><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--panel bb-faq-sectie\" id=\"faq\" data-bg=\"panel\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2><div class=\"bb-faq\"><div class=\"bb-faq__item\"><h3 class=\"bb-faq__vraag\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-controls=\"faq-faq-0\" id=\"faq-faq-0-knop\">Is a home visit sufficient to demonstrate property fraud?<span class=\"bb-faq__icoon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"bb-faq__antwoord\" id=\"faq-faq-0\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-faq-0-knop\"><p>No. A home visit says something about the living situation in Belgium, not about property abroad. For that, an extract from the property register of the country concerned is needed.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"bb-faq__item\"><h3 class=\"bb-faq__vraag\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"faq-faq-1\" id=\"faq-faq-1-knop\">May a social worker consult the foreign land registry themselves?<span class=\"bb-faq__icoon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"bb-faq__antwoord\" id=\"faq-faq-1\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-faq-1-knop\" hidden><p>In most countries they may not: the registers are not public or are only accessible to competent persons on site. That is why we work with local lawyers.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"bb-faq__item\"><h3 class=\"bb-faq__vraag\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"faq-faq-2\" id=\"faq-faq-2-knop\">What if the person concerned says the home belongs to their parents?<span class=\"bb-faq__icoon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"bb-faq__antwoord\" id=\"faq-faq-2\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-faq-2-knop\" hidden><p>Then we report what the register says. If the property is registered in the parents' name, the person concerned has no ownership; if an inherited share is registered in their name, that does constitute ownership.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-kaarten bb-kaarten--kb\" id=\"gerelateerd\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>See also<\/h2><div class=\"bb-grid-3\"><article class=\"bb-kaart bb-kaart--kb\"><img class=\"bb-kaart__beeld\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/ocmw-768x429.webp\" alt=\"For OCMWs\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">For OCMWs<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">Asset investigation for OCMWs: is real estate abroad relevant to a living wage file? Investigation via local lawyers, in 45 countries.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/for-public-social-welfare-centres\/\">Read more <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/article><article class=\"bb-kaart bb-kaart--kb\"><img class=\"bb-kaart__beeld\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/woonmaatschappijen-768x429.webp\" alt=\"For housing companies\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">For housing companies<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">Asset investigation for housing companies: does a social tenant own real estate abroad? Pre-check and reporting for your case.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/for-housing-companies\/\">Read more <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/article><article class=\"bb-kaart bb-kaart--kb\"><img class=\"bb-kaart__beeld\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/pre-check-768x429.webp\" alt=\"Pre-check\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">Pre-check<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">Pre-check: an initial investigation into real estate abroad in the name of the person concerned. Usually 1 to 2 weeks, quotation in advance.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/pre-check\/\">Read more <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/article><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-cta bb-cta--beeld\" id=\"cta\" data-bg=\"primary\" style=\"--bb-cta-img:url(https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/cta-band.webp)\"><div class=\"bb-container bb-cta__inhoud\"><h2 class=\"bb-cta__kop\">Discuss your case<\/h2><p class=\"bb-cta__tekst\">Do you have a question about real estate abroad? We are happy to discuss which service suits your case. You receive clarity in advance about the assignment, the lead time and the costs.<\/p><p class=\"bb-cta__knop\"><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--invers\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/contact\/\">Discuss your case<\/a><\/p><p class=\"bb-cta__contact\"><a href=\"tel:+31851110123\">+31 (0)85 111 01 23<\/a><span aria-hidden=\"true\"> \u00b7 <\/span><a href=\"mailto:info@bureaubuitenland.be\">info@bureaubuitenland.be<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/section>\n","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=599"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/599\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2755,"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/599\/revisions\/2755"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/586"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}