Tenancy fraud is thought to cost housing associations and local authorities in the UK around £955 million a year. It’s estimated that around 1% of social housing properties are fraudulently let – that could be 300 VIVID homes.

Every time one of our properties is misused, a family in genuine need is left without a home. So, we’re taking a strong stance against it. We’ve recently been successful in court where we’ve been able to evict fraudulent customers, freeing up the home for a family who needs it.

What is tenancy fraud?

The most common form of tenancy fraud is when people move out of their home and let someone else pay to live there. Often these people are also claiming housing benefit. Tenancy fraud is also when people lie to get a home, or swap their home without asking for our permission.

If we think there’s tenancy fraud going on, we’ll carry out a thorough investigation. If there’s evidence to prove it, then we’ll take legal action to evict the tenants. The fraudsters can also be made to pay back any money they’ve made unlawfully.

Carol Williams, Operations Director, said: "It's completely unacceptable for someone to rent out their home while there are so many people out there in genuine need. Our recent successes have freed up a much-needed home and send out the very clear message that anyone trying to cheat the system will ultimately be caught and prosecuted."

We need your help

If you think that tenancy fraud is happening, please contact us straight away. Even if you just have suspicions, let us know and we can still carry out an investigation. We promise we won’t reveal your identify, or you can contact us anonymously, if you’d prefer.