Tenancy fraud and unauthorised occupants policy

This page provides a quick summary. For full detail, please read the full policy below.

We want to make sure that our homes are lived in by the right people. This policy explains how we stop, find and deal with tenancy fraud.

What is tenancy fraud?

Tenancy fraud happens when someone lives in one of our properties without permission, when a tenant doesn't use the property as their main home, or when someone lies to get a tenancy with us.

Who are unauthorised occupants?

These are people living in our properties without permission. This includes lodgers or family members who stay after the tenant moves out or dies, people who rent the whole property from our tenant (illegal subletting), people who rent part of the property without our written permission, or someone who takes over a tenancy without asking us first.

Getting permission for lodgers or subtenants

If you want a lodger or to sublet part of your home, you need our written permission first. We have a separate policy about this. If you don't get permission, we consider anyone living there to be unauthorised.

How we prevent tenancy fraud

We keep good records of who has permission for lodgers or subtenants and ask tenants to tell us about any changes in their circumstances. Tenants should also let us know if they're going away for a long time. We run campaigns to explain the consequences of tenancy fraud and check people's identity and circumstances before giving them a tenancy. When people sign new tenancy agreements, we explain that tenancy fraud is illegal.

How we find tenancy fraud

We visit properties where we suspect fraud is happening and investigate reports from neighbours or staff. Sometimes we make unannounced visits when needed. We work with local councils and anti-fraud agencies to gather evidence and follow our abandonment policy if we think someone has left their home permanently.

What we do about tenancy fraud

Before taking action, we first consider if we could give permission after the fact. If we have evidence of fraud, we ask the tenant to end their agreement with us and consider court action to get the property back. We may also ask for compensation if the tenant made money from illegal subletting and work with local councils who might prosecute tenants.

Helping unauthorised occupants

We understand that unauthorised occupants are often victims who pay higher rent than they should and are in a vulnerable position. We help by giving them housing advice, referring vulnerable adults to support services, and following safeguarding procedures when needed. We're also aware of risks like cuckooing, where criminals take over someone's home.

We cannot harass or illegally evict unauthorised occupants. If someone is living in the whole property without permission, we may charge them for using it.

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