Housing fraud
Housing fraud
The Corporate Fraud Team will investigate any suspicions raised by our tenants, staff or members of the public relating to unlawful tenancy and unlawful sub-letting. The Corporate Fraud Team, investigate tenants who do not use their property as their main home (they may have moved in with relatives, or be abroad for extensive periods of time)
If it is proven that a person has committed a housing, or sub-letting fraud then they will be subject to one or more of the following actions against them:
- the recovery for possession of the property
- prosecution through the courts (depending upon the circumstances)
- recovery of any monies or property obtained through the fraudulent act(s).
Please let us know if you think:
- tenants are not using their council property as their main home (they may have moved in with relatives, or be abroad for extensive periods of time)
- a council property that has been sub-let by the council occupant who no longer lives there, but is still the council tenant - this is a criminal offence
- someone who makes a false application for a council property - this is a criminal offence
- someone who owns / has access to their own property and is submitting a Right to Buy application for a council property
- you are aware of individuals sub-letting or abandoning their property
- a landlord or letting agent is getting housing benefit payments for tenants who don't live in the property
- a landlord or letting agent has approached tenants about claiming housing benefit illegally.
What we've done about housing fraud
In the financial year 2019/2020, we recovered a number of properties which were either illegally sub-let or abandoned, with a value of over £1.5 million.
Recovery of these properties allows us to reallocate the properties to genuine residents (those who are lawfully entitled to them and in need of social housing).