Tenancy Fraud

The most common forms of tenancy fraud are:

• Unlawful subletting – where the tenant doesn’t live in the property, they rent it to someone else.
• Obtaining housing by deception – using false information to gain a social housing property.
• Key selling – when a tenant sells their keys to someone for a lump sum payment.
• Wrongly claimed succession – when a tenant dies, there are rules about what should happen with the tenancy. Wrongly claimed succession is when someone who is not entitled under the rules tries to take over the tenancy. For example, they might say they lived with the tenant before they died, when in fact they were living elsewhere.
• Abandonment – when a tenant abandons their home and hasn’t told us that they’re not returning to the property.
• False Right to Buy / Right to Acquire – when a tenant makes a Right to Buy or Right to Acquire application and gives false information.

• A sudden change in tenant at the property.
• Your neighbour is being vague about who lives at the property or what their relationship is to those living there.
• Increased anti-social behaviour at the property.
• Your neighbour may have passed away and a friend or family member is now living at the property.
• The property appears to have been abandoned.

• All tenancy fraud is illegal. You could go to prison or receive a fine of up to £5,000.
• 1.15 million people are currently on the waiting list for a social home in the UK. Tenancy fraud means those in need can’t get the homes they deserve.
• People can unknowingly be victims of illegal subletting. If someone sub-lets their social home, the tenant living in the property will be paying significantly more for the house than the housing association or council is charging the ‘landlord’ for the property.
• Tenancy fraud contributes to 1 billion pounds worth of public spending every year.
• If a disaster such as a fire occurs, there will be no record of who lives in the property.

Do you suspect someone is committing tenancy fraud? Let us know your concerns by:

• Completing the form below
• Calling us on 0300 123 1 567
• Emailing tenancyfraud@abri.co.uk
  

All the information you submit will be kept confidential, but you can also choose to remain anonymous.