Tenancy Fraud

19/11/2019

Tenancy Fraud

This week is International Tenancy Fraud Awareness Week.  Cornerstone has a proactive approach to tenancy fraud.  Did you know:

• Social Housing Fraud or commonly known ‘Tenancy Fraud’ is an offence that relates to people misusing the provision of social housing.
• Subletting is a criminal offence and those found guilty can face up to two years in prison and/or a £5,000 fine
• Tenancy Fraud costs the tax payer an estimated £1.8billion in between 2013 – 2016. *Annual Fraud Indicator 2017

 Types of Tenancy Fraud include:

Application Fraud – making a false declaration or submitting fraudulent documents to obtain a property – for example, giving false information on Devon Home Choice

Do you know if someone is providing false information on their Devon Home Choice to obtain a social housing property?

Unlawful Subletting – tenants who sublet the whole or part of their home – for example, moving in with their partner and renting out their social housing property just in case the relationship doesn’t work out.

Are your neighbours allowing others to live in their social housing property, whilst they live somewhere else? This could be subletting and is illegal.

Succession Fraud – unlawful tenancy succession – wrongful succession to a person who does not qualify and submitted false information – for example, saying they’ve lived with a social housing tenant to succeed the property when you know this not to be true.

Has your neighbour recently passed and a family or friend moved in to take over their property? We call this succession fraud and it is illegal.

What you can do to help

If you have any suspicions that someone is or has been committing tenancy fraud, then please contact us by:

Calling your Housing Officer on 01392 273462 or emailing us on mail@cornerstonehousing.net

Any information you give us will be treated in the strictest of confidence and your identity will be protected