North East campaign highlights the cost of housing fraud

The financial and social impact of housing fraud will come under the spotlight as part of a regional awareness campaign.

Housing fraud is the third biggest type of fraud affecting councils in the UK, costing local authorities £135.6m in 2018/2019. It can also contribute to problems such as anti-social behaviour and vandalism within communities.

The North East Tenancy Fraud Forum will lead a social media campaign to raise awareness of the different types of housing fraud and to encourage members of the public to report their suspicions.

Types of housing fraud

• Unlawful subletting - where a tenant lets out their council or housing association home without the knowledge or permission of their landlord;
• Abandonment - where a tenant parts possession with their socially rented property, has no intention to return and does not inform the landlord;
• Right to Buy/Acquire - where a tenant has applied for or completed the purchase of a socially rented home under the Right to Buy/Right to Acquire Scheme when they are not entitled, or misrepresented their circumstances to gain a discount;
• Wrongly claimed succession - where a tenant dies or moves out and someone, who is not entitled to, tries to take over or succeed the tenancy;
• Unlawful assignment - where a resident stops using their tenancy as their main or principal home, allowing another person to live there without permission;
• Key selling - where a tenant is paid to pass on their keys in return for a one-off payment.

More