Councils and social landlords in the Yorkshire region are encouraging people to report tenancy fraud as part of a regional Tenancy Fraud Awareness Week 2014.
Tenancy Fraud Awareness Week 2014 runs between February 3 and 9, and social housing providers and anti-fraud agencies across the region are encouraging the public to report any suspicions of tenancy fraud. With tenancy fraud now a criminal offence under the Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013, this latest campaign builds on an anti-Housing Fraud campaign launched in August 2013 by City of York Council and its counter fraud specialist partner Veritau.
This new campaign is backed by local partners to the anti-tenancy and housing fraud network, which includes Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, Harrogate Borough Council, Yorkshire Housing, Richmondshire District Council, York Housing Association, Craven District Council, Broadacres, Selby District Council and the Home Group, with other social housing providers across the region. In 2013, Veritau helped City of York Council recover 30 properties that were being misused, as well as blocking 12 false applications for housing.
Nationally, social housing fraud costs the public purse at least £900 million each year and a shortage of social housing combined with the high cost of private rented properties in the area, has made housing fraud attractive to criminals. It is important that properties being misused are identified and recovered as quickly as possible so that people on the waiting list can be housed.
Examples of tenancy fraud include:
tenants letting out their home without the council’s or housing association’s knowledge or permission
obtaining a home by giving false information
no longer living at the property
people staying in a council property after the legal tenant has left the property or died, without informing the council or housing association
even selling on the keys of a home for a one off payment
council tenants swapping without the council’s or housing association’s consent.
Any suspicions of fraud against the council should be reported to the council’s fraud hotline, 01904 552935.All information received is treated with the utmost confidence.
Councillor Lindsay Cunningham-Cross, Cabinet Member for Crime and Stronger Communities, said: “Tenancy fraud affects all social landlords which means that perpetrators are denying eligible people across the region much-needed homes and are stealing from the public purse. At a time of huge demand for social housing it is even more important that available social property goes to those who need it most. If members of the public suspect someone is committing fraud, they should report it.”
