Published: Wednesday 15 November 2023
Our Council properties are a precious and much needed resource, providing homes for families and individuals. To mark Fraud Awareness Week, we’ve highlighted two different types of tenancy fraud involving our properties which we have cracked down on.
Councillor Sof McVeigh, Lead Member for Housing, said:
If you are committing fraud, it is illegal and we will act, Council homes are for people who need them. Our team is acting fast - in just over a year we have recovered 41 properties, which can now provide homes for those most in need.
We will use our dedicated team to investigate any suspicion of fraud, and when we do find it, take all steps necessary to reclaim that property for someone far more deserving on our housing list.
Faking a swap
Mutual exchange
We do allow swaps or mutual exchanges of Council properties with other councils; however, we won’t tolerate any abuse of the system. In one instance, checks were carried out by an officer to confirm that both incoming and outgoing tenants had the right to exchange. They revealed that the incoming tenant did not appear to be living at their address in the north of England and were in fact already living in the capital with their children settled in school. When this was pointed out they withdrew their application for exchange. To follow up, we then paid a visit to our tenant’s address where it was quite clear that neither the tenant nor their family had lived there for some time. Following the visit, the keys were returned within days.
Chancing their arm
Succession
When someone dies living in one of our properties an application for succession is allowed by any family member who also lives there. We received such an application by someone claiming to be the partner of the deceased. After thorough checks, including reviewing bank statements, we discovered that the applicant had no links to the tenancy, and was in fact living somewhere else and had provided false documents. After an interview, they handed their keys back to us.
If you suspect someone is committing tenancy fraud, don’t hesitate to tell us. To report a concern email [email protected] or call our confidential telephone line 020 7605 6401.