Tenancy Fraud

What is Tenancy Fraud?  

Tenancy fraud happens when someone:

  • Lies to get a home
  • Lets someone else live in their home without permission
  • Does not live in the home as their main address

This is against the rules and can lead to losing the home or being taken to court.

Types of Tenancy Fraud

Here are some examples:

  • Illegal subletting  – letting someone else live in your home without permission
  • Unlawful occupation  – living in a home without the landlord’s consent
  • Key selling  – moving out and selling your keys to someone else
  • Getting a home by lying  – giving false information to get a home or a better chance of getting one
  • Succession fraud  – claiming the right to take over a tenancy after someone dies when you don’t qualify
  • Right to Buy/Acquire fraud  – giving false details to get a discount when buying your home
  • Not telling us when someone dies or moves out

Why is Tenancy Fraud a problem?

There are more people waiting for homes than there are homes available. When someone commits tenancy fraud, they are living in a home that could go to someone who really needs it.

It’s estimated that  148,000 homes  are wrongly occupied, and tenancy fraud costs housing providers around  £1 billion a year. One case alone can cost between  £18,000 and £94,000.

What does Regenda do about Tenancy Fraud?

f we think tenancy fraud has happened, we will:

  • Work with the police, local councils and the Department for Work and Pensions
  • Ask for legal action and request an  unlawful profit order  if needed
  • Take back the property if the tenant has broken the rules.

Need to Report Something?

If you think tenancy fraud is happening, please contact us. You can help make sure homes go to people who need them most.

Investigating ‘Social Housing Fraud’

If we think someone has committed social housing fraud, we will work with other organisations to look into it. This includes:

  • The police
  • Local councils
  • The Department for Work and Pensions.

We may ask these organisations to take legal action under the Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013. This could include asking the court to order the person to pay back any money they made from the fraud.

What Happens Next

If we find strong evidence that fraud has taken place, or that someone has sub-let the whole home, we will take steps to get the property back.

This includes:

  • Giving the tenant a notice to quit if they have moved out and let someone else live there
  • Starting legal action to take back the home once the notice has ended

We follow our tenancy breach procedure to make sure everything is done fairly and properly.