Did you know that providing false information to gain a property, subletting a property or not using a social housing home as your main home is a type of fraud?
Tenancy fraud can be a criminal matter and can lead to prosecution, so it should be avoided.
Why is tenancy fraud a big issue?
There is a shortage of affordable housing and waiting lists for social housing across the country are lengthy, with people waiting up to 10 years for affordable housing in some instances.
Due to the high demand, instead of giving up the tenancy we have seen an increase in customers trying to retain these homes to pass to other family members and friends.
This prevents families in housing need from securing a home. Social landlords exist to make sure that these homes are let to those in housing need registered with the local authority, which is why subletting is a criminal offence.
If you are committing tenancy fraud but did not know how serious it is or that it was a crime, we are always happy to work with customers to resolve the situation and are much less likely to take criminal proceedings in these instances. We also hold key amnesty’s, which gives customers the opportunity to surrender their tenancy without further action being taken.
Get in touch with us if you would like to discuss tenancy fraud in a LiveWest home. If you would like to report tenancy fraud, we will always maintain complete confidentiality in our investigations.
