Keeping our communities safe from tenancy fraud

Tenancy Fraud is a criminal offence and could reduce the number of homes available for people who genuinely need them. We’re committed to tackling tenancy fraud and making sure our homes are used safely and appropriately.

What is tenancy fraud?

Tenancy fraud happens when someone uses or obtains a social housing home unlawfully. Common types include:

• Illegal subletting
• Submitting a false or misleading application
• Succession fraud
• Right-to-buy fraud.

Tenancy fraud affects everyone. It can cause waiting times for social housing to increase. It could lead to overcrowded or unsafe living conditions and create antisocial behaviour issues within neighbourhoods. Tenancy fraud can also drain resources that could be used for repairing homes and estate improvements.

Emmanuella Edokpa, Director of Neighbourhood and Tenancy Services, said: “At Hyde, we work closely with local partners and external agencies to identify and tackle tenancy fraud. We sometimes carry out data matching exercises to make sure the correct people are living in our homes. Any cases of suspected fraud will always be investigated.

“This year, we’ve taken several tenants to court for tenancy fraud and were successful in recovering the homes that can now be let to people and families in need of housing.”

Spot the signs

We encourage customers to let us know if something doesn’t seem right. Signs of possible tenancy fraud may include:

• Frequent short-term visitors or people coming and going with luggage
• The property appears occupied but rarely used (curtains closed, no lights)
• New people moving in without any notice or explanation
• Mail addressed to multiple unknown individuals.

If you spot any of the signs above, please contact us or report it online via MyAccount. If you’re worried that a home is being misused or unlawfully occupied, report it to us and don’t approach any of the occupants.