Tackling housing fraud

When somebody with a housing association home rents it out without permission or obtains a home through providing false information, they are guilty of housing fraud. They are using up valuable housing spaces and depriving families and vulnerable people on the waiting list. The good news, is that we are reclaiming homes from residents who are involved in housing fraud.

It’s not fair

Social housing is always in high demand so we need to make sure our homes are being used fairly and being lived in by the lawful tenant.

That’s why we carry out tenancy verification visits. Our neighbourhood managers visit residents at home to check that the tenant named on the tenancy agreement is indeed the person living in the property.

Nine times out of ten, we find that everything is above board and that the lawful tenant, as outlined on the tenancy agreement, is living at the property. However this isn’t always the case.

Over the last six months we’ve uncovered a number of people living unlawfully in our homes who, for one reason or another, shouldn’t have been there. But thanks to our tenancy verification visits, information from local authorities and tip-offs from other residents, we’ve been able to take action.

Since April 2011 our investigations have led to:

• 3 tenants being evicted
• 15 tenants handing their property back to East Thames
• 2 tenants handing a property back to another housing association

This means we can now house 20 more families in these homes. At a time of housing shortages that’s a real success.

And we couldn’t do it without your help. You know what’s going on in your neighbourhood so we rely on information from you, our residents. If you think someone in your area may be subletting their home or living elsewhere, please do get in touch. Any information you give us will be handled with the strictest of confidence.

Contact us on 020 8536 3953 or email sublet@east-thames.co.uk. 

What is housing fraud?

There are different types of housing fraud; here are some of the most common:

Unlawful subletting

When an East Thames tenant lets out their home without our knowledge or permission they are unlawfully subletting. They often continue to pay the rent for the property directly to their landlord, but charge the person they are subletting to a much higher rate. It is not fair to sublet and to profit from a property which could be given to someone in greater need.

Obtaining housing by deception

When a person gets an East Thames home by giving false information in their application, for example not telling us they are renting another council or housing association property, they are committing housing fraud.

Wrongly claimed succession

When a tenant dies, there are rules that say what should be done with the tenancy. Wrongly claimed succession is when someone, who is not entitled, tries to take over the tenancy. For example, they might say they lived with the tenant before they died, when in fact they were living elsewhere.