Housing Services are running Tenancy Fraud Action Month beginning on 20th April and are carrying out multiple initiatives to target tenancy fraud at BHT Sussex.
Tenancy fraud is a criminal offence where a social housing property is rented without permission, often for large profit. The most common form of tenancy fraud is unlawful subletting, such as renting a home for short term holiday lets via Airbnb, often for large profit, or handing keys over to someone else without our knowledge.
Other common types of tenancy fraud include:
- Obtaining social housing by deception
- Non-occupation / abandonment
- Wrongly claimed succession
- Key selling
- Right to buy fraud
It is a criminal offence punishable by up to two years imprisonment, unlimited fines, illegal profit orders and ultimately the loss of the property for the person committing fraud.
The first initiative for Tenancy Fraud Action Month will be tenancy audits. Housing Services staff will be carrying out tenancy audits at all our social housing properties. This is to understand exactly who is living in our properties. If tenants are found to be committing tenancy fraud, further action will then be taken.
Housing Services are also running a key amnesty. Tenants who are knowingly committing tenancy fraud can surrender keys to the property with no further action being taken against them. To make arrangements to return keys to a property that you have obtained illegally, please contact Housing Services via [email protected].
Lastly, BHT Sussex tenants are requested to tip off housing services if you suspect your neighbour is committing tenancy fraud. Please email us at: [email protected] to anonymously inform us. We will then audit the property to check, thanks to your tip off.
Latest figures show that at least 148,000 social housing homes are subject to tenancy fraud, which equates to about 1 in 30 social homes. It is important that our social homes are occupied by people who need it the most.
If you have any questions about Tenancy Fraud Action Month, please email [email protected].
