Instances of fraud occur through acts of deception or omission which may result in personal gain and/or damage to another person.
Tenancy fraud may be committed if:
- an unauthorised occupant is living in a property
- a tenant fails to occupy the property as their only and principal home
- a tenant withholds necessary information
- an applicant or existing tenant provides false information to join the housing waiting list, obtain an occupancy agreement, assign to a property, succeed to or join a tenancy, or apply for the Right to Buy scheme
- a Right to Buy applicant enters into an agreement with a third party to buy the property for a cash incentive
An unauthorised occupant can be:
- a lodger, partner or family member who is not pursuing the right to succeed to the tenancy but remains in occupation after the tenant has vacated or dies
- a sub-tenant who rents the whole of the property from a tenant (unlawful subletting)
- a sub-tenant or lodger who occupies part of the property without the tenant obtaining written permission (breach of tenancy)
- someone who is assigned a tenancy without our permission
- a private tenant who rents a property from a leaseholder on terms inconsistent with the conditions of the lease
A lodger is someone who lives with the tenant and pays them rent
Subletting means giving a tenancy to someone else and charging them rent.