Help us deal with tenancy fraud

Tenancy fraud happens when someone is living in, using or passing on a Hyde home to someone else when they don’t have the right to. This can stop another person or family from getting a safe, secure home.

You might notice signs of subletting, visitors arriving with suitcases, key safes in unusual places, or a home that suddenly seems empty. Sharing what you’ve seen can help us spot tenancy fraud, so if something doesn’t feel right, please tell us.

You can report a concern by raising a ‘misconduct’ case through MyAccount, or by calling us on 0800 3 282 282. You don’t need proof before contacting us and we’ll make sure the information is passed to the right team to look into it.

Neal Ackcral, Hyde’s Chief Operating Officer, said:

“With more than 450,000 households in London and the South East on council waiting lists, it’s important we make sure the homes we manage are used by the people and families that need them.

“That means tackling tenancy fraud wherever we find it. We’re doing more to spot the signs, but customers can also help us. One report could be the missing piece that helps us understand what’s happening.”

Nearly 150,000 social homes are thought to be affected by tenancy fraud, costing the sector up to £1 billion each year. That’s why we’re stepping up our approach. We now have a specialist Tenancy Fraud Officer who is supporting more complex cases, working with local authority fraud teams and raising awareness with customers about how to report concerns.

Once we receive a report, we investigate carefully and decide what we need to do next. That might be speaking with the customer, offering support if someone is struggling, or taking firmer action if a home is being misused.

If we need to, we’ll consider ending a tenancy so the home can be made available for someone who needs it. We’ve already done this with ten homes this year.

If you’re struggling with your tenancy or need to be away from your home for a while, please speak to us as early as you can. We want to help. We can talk through your options and explain what you need to do.