Criminal cash distorts London property market

Criminals are driving up London house prices by £11,000 through illicit cash, according to SmartSearch. Since 2016, over £11bn of suspicious money has entered the UK property market, inflating average prices by £3,000. More than half of this money comes from shell companies in British Overseas Territories, which are often linked to money laundering. The all-party parliamentary group on anti-corruption warns that the trend exacerbates the housing crisis for ordinary families. 

The Mail on Sunday (24/08/2025)