What is tenancy fraud?

​Tenancy fraud is when someone lies or cheats to get or keep a home they’re not entitled to. Types of tenancy fraud include:

  • Subletting – This occurs when a social tenant sublets part or the whole of a property even if that is to a family member without profit.
  • Non-occupation by tenant as their principal home & Abandonment – Where the tenant stops using their tenancy as their main or principal home, allowing another person to live there without permission, or, to move out of a social property and leave it empty without telling the landlord is also tenancy fraud as it’s failing to notify them of a change in circumstances.
  • Misrepresentation – If a person omits to tell a social landlord a fact or tells a lie in order to be granted a property or to be transferred to a larger property, then they are misrepresenting facts and this is a criminal offence which can lead to a prison sentence and or a fine.
  • Wrongly claimed succession – When a tenant dies and a person claims the right to succeed by saying they have lived there for the required period when they in fact haven’t.
  • Unauthorised assignment – Unlawfully passing the social housing property to a relative or friend
  • Joint tenancy fraud – The scenario is usually when a sole tenant tells their social landlord that their partner has moved in and they would like to be joint tenants with that person. As soon as the joint tenancy is created, the original tenant moves out which means the remaining tenant (who more often than not wouldn’t be regarded as having a social need) remains in the property alone.

A report by the Tenancy Fraud Forum and Fraud Advisory Panel estimated that 148,000 social housing homes in England are fraudulently occupied which is equivalent to a town the size of Middlesbrough. This puts a huge strain on local authorities, leaving many people on lengthy housing waiting lists and increasing the risks of people becoming homeless because homes are not available to those who need them.

Tenancy audits

To ensure that we can provide homes to those who need them we may visit your home to perform a tenancy audit.

When we visit your home for a tenancy audit, we will ask to see two valid forms of ID, which must include one photographic form of ID, as proof of identity and residence.

Tenancy audits are different to stock condition surveys, and other access visits, which focus on the structural elements of the inside and outside of the building. Tenancy audits are an essential part of managing our neighbourhoods and supporting our residents. They are also a helpful way to get to know the Neighbourhood Housing Officers who work in the area where you live.

We don’t usually give notice for these appointments as tenancy audits are designed to be unannounced. If you’re not in, we will attend at another time, which can include evenings.

During the tenancy audit, which lasts around 20-30 minutes, our neighbourhood housing officer will complete a short questionnaire with you, and take down some details about your household. These questions are important as they help us to check that we are providing the right kind of services to you and to ensure that the details we hold about you and your family are up to date and accurate.

We will discuss any concerns you may have with repairs or anti-social behaviour (ASB) for example and provide information on the support available to those who need it. We will also ask to look around your home using the visit to check the maintenance & condition of your property and may ask to take photographs.

In addition, you will also be asked about taking part in engagement initiatives, which will enable you to have a say in how our housing services are provided.

The tenancy audit is value for money because it helps to:

  • Improve our service, based on feedback
  • Identify fraud – nationally housing fraud costs the public purse billions of pounds per year
  • Remove people who are dishonestly occupying our housing shortening the waiting times for people who are in need of our housing
  • Make sure residents are living in accommodation that is appropriate for their family size so ensuring that we make best use of our housing stock
  • Ensure homes are being maintained to help avoid costly repairs at the end of a tenancy

If you have any questions about the process, please get in touch with the Neighbourhood & Estates team on 0300 3300 900 and enter extension number 7333 when prompted.

Aswell as the financial risks, tenancy fraud creates negative social impact and stops communities from thriving. The lack of a settled home to those who truly need it has an adverse effect on the education of children, health and employment prospects and the creation of safe communities. It is imperative that the allocation and use of our homes is aligned with our objectives and the idea of social housing as a whole.

We work in partnership with other agencies to investigate fraud, and when evidence demonstrates that tenancy fraud is occurring, we will take legal action to recover the home when other measures have failed.

If you suspect tenancy fraud is taking place in one of our homes, please contact us on 0300 3300 900 or make an anonymous report via our website here.

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Any reports received of suspected tenancy fraud would be confidential, and when we address this, we would not disclose where the report has come from.

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