Tenancy fraud

The cost of tenancy fraud

The National Fraud Authority have estimated the cost of tenancy fraud to be £900 million. Aside from the clear financial risks to social landlords, tenancy fraud creates negative social impact and stops communities from thriving. The lack of a settled home to those truly need it has an adverse effect on the education of children, health and employment prospects and the creation of safe communities.

Also, the costs to local authorities in having to provide housing to homeless families who have been identified as being in need of social housing is astronomical.

Report tenancy fraud

If you are aware of tenancy fraud happening at a Keniston property, you can report directly to Keniston – email fraud@kenistonha.co.uk / 01689889700. Your report will be strictly confidential.

If you are aware of tenancy fraud in a non-Keniston property, you can report it to the Tenancy Fraud Forum or the landlord www.tenancyfruadforum.org.uk.

Tenancy fraud is a criminal offence and offenders can be prosecuted under the Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013 (POSHFA). You can be fined, imprisoned or both. The courts also have the power to make you pay back any profit made from the fraud.

• If we evict you for tenancy fraud, you will be regarded as having made yourselves intentionally homeless and will not receive assistance from other housing providers.
• If we take court action, you will also incur court costs.
• The criminal penalties are up to two years in prison and/or an unlimited fine.
• Profit orders can be made against unlawful income from subletting.

Misrepresentation – If a person fails to tell us a fact or tells a lie in order to be granted a property or to be transferred to a larger property, then they are misrepresenting facts.

Subletting – if a person moves out and lets someone else live in their home instead, this is subletting. It doesn’t matter whether it’s to a family member, a friend, or anyone else, or even if you don’t make a profit – it’s still illegal.

Succession fraud – when a tenant dies and a person claims the right to succeed by saying they have lived there for the required period when they in fact haven’t.

Key Selling – If a social tenant is granted a tenancy but never moves in and instead sells the keys to a third party or moves out and sells the keys instead of returning them to us.

Abandonment – To move out of a social property and leave it empty without telling us is also tenancy fraud as it’s failing to notify of a change in circumstances. We have recently repossessed an abandoned property.