Shining a light on tenancy fraud this Fraud Awareness Week
This week is Fraud Awareness Week (17th-23rd November), a time dedicated to raising awareness about what fraud is and how we can prevent it. We’re using this as a chance to shed some light on tenancy fraud and what that means for you as one of our residents.
What is tenancy fraud?
Tenancy fraud, also known as social housing fraud, happens when someone lives in a council or housing association home without the legal right to do so, has gained access to the property through dishonest means, or keeps the property empty while living somewhere else.
Illegally securing a social housing tenancy can happen in various ways, including:
- Making a false claim on an application to Manchester Move or other local authority allocations systems.
- Falsely assigning the tenancy to another individual or doing so without our permission.
- Wrongfully claiming the right to take over a tenancy after one of our tenants has passed away.
- Falsely applying for a Mutual Exchange or doing an exchange without the permission of us.
What if you’re a victim of tenancy fraud?
If you’re a sub-tenant, you may not be aware that you’re using a property unlawfully and are a victim of your housing situation. You could be vulnerable to illegal eviction by the tenant once the situation is uncovered. If this happens, we will support you and provide you with guidance in relation to your housing situation.
In exceptional circumstances, we will consider you for rehousing under our Allocations and Tenancy Management policies.
We will give you reasonable notice to leave the property and direct you to the relevant local authority homelessness team for support.
What happens if you’re found guilty of tenancy fraud?
Those found guilty may face civil legal action to reclaim the property, along with claims for damages and legal costs. This could also lead to updates in the housing records, potentially affecting the person’s eligibility for future social housing.
If you suspect a neighbour is committing tenancy fraud, or you think you’re a victim of tenancy fraud, please get in touch with our Customer Services team on 0800 633 5500 / 0300 111 0000. We're available Mon-Fri 8am-6pm
For more information about how we deal with tenancy fraud, you can view our Tenancy Fraud policy.
