It’s Fraud Awareness Week between 12-18 November 2023, a national campaign which aims to raise awareness of fraud and how to prevent it.

Tenancy Fraud is having a massive impact on the social housing sector with more than 100,000 families being placed in temporary accommodation and around 310,000 children having to share a bed due to overcrowding.

There are currently over 148,000 social homes subject to some form of Tenancy Fraud.

What is Tenancy Fraud?

There are different types of Tenancy Fraud, the most common ones include:

• Unlawful subletting – where a tenant lets out their council or housing association home without the knowledge or permission of their landlord.
• Obtaining housing by deception – where a person gets a council or housing association home by giving false information in their application.
• Key selling – where a tenant is paid to pass on their keys in return for a one-off payment.
• Wrongly claimed succession – when a tenant dies and someone, who is not entitled to, tries to take over or succeed the tenancy.

Tenancy Fraud is a criminal offence which can mean a prison sentence and a fine of up to £50,000.

Why is it important to tackle Tenancy Fraud?

There isn’t currently enough social housing to meet the needs of people who genuinely need it, so it’s important to report Tenancy Fraud when you are aware of it.

You can find out more about Tenancy Fraud, and the different forms of it, here.

If you have any questions around this, or if you suspect Tenancy Fraud in one of our homes, please contact us on 01892 501480 or by emailing info@tch.org.uk