Cracking down on tenancy fraud

Since April this year, the Royal Borough’s Corporate Investigation Group (CIG) has been working closely with the TMO and Housing Associations across the Borough in order to prevent, detect and deter tenancy fraud.

What is tenancy fraud?

Tenancy fraud involves obtaining properties by deception. For example, people claiming to be homeless when they already own a property or are already living at an address, or continuing to claim to be living at a property when they have moved out and have since sublet it.

The Council has a duty to house certain vulnerable members of society, and are often forced to use temporary accommodation outside the Royal Borough due to a shortage of housing.

In addition, families or individuals on the housing waiting list are denied housing because people are using properties for profit. Fraudulently obtaining affordable housing or subletting for personal gain uses up valuable resources that should be available to families in need.

Since the start of the financial year, 23 properties have been recovered and several other cases are currently being dealt with by TMO and Housing Association solicitors.

Here’s a selection of cases which have been successfully investigated:

Investigations into an alleged abandoned property unearthed a new address in the Kent area for the tenant. Following a taped interview the tenant admitted vacating the address without notifying the TMO, or without notifying the Housing Benefit Department who had continued to pay her rent. A Notice to Quit was served and the property was subsequently recovered, along with a housing benefit overpayment of £3,150.

Following the death of the tenant in SW3, the tenant’s son had made a Succession Application stating that he had been resident at the address, however, investigations identified an alternative address for the son along with evidence of his residency there.

Confronted with the information the son withdrew his application.

Help us crackdown on fraudsters

If you have information regarding tenancy fraud, you can speak in confidence to the Corporate Investigation Group on 020 7361 2777 or email investigation@rbkc.gov.uk