Tenancy Fraud Case Studies
Explore our Tenancy Fraud case studies below to see how we've identified and addressed fraudulent activity.
Report help to reveal sub-letting resident
Not everyone who lives in our homes behaves like you do. Recently, concerns were raised by residents and one of our Estate Officers about possible subletting at a two-bedroom flat. Reports suggested the tenant was not living at the property and may have been renting it out to others.
An unannounced early morning visit was carried out by one of our Neighbourhood Managers and the Counter Fraud and Investigations Lead from the local council.
During the visit, the tenant was not present, but two men were found at the property. Both admitted to paying the tenant £400 per month each in rent.
Inside, officers discovered clear evidence of subletting, two beds in one bedroom, two more in the living room, and a mattress in the second bedroom.
The tenant was formally interviewed under caution by the Council and our Neighbourhood Manager. The case was also referred to the Council Tax department and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), as the tenant had been fraudulently claiming a single person discount and Universal Credit.
The sub-tenants vacated the property shortly after, and the tenant received a formal written warning.
The investigation confirmed tenancy fraud had taken place. Through joint working between Fairhive, the local authority and other partners, the misuse of public resources was stopped, and the home was returned to proper use, ensuring it could once again support someone in genuine housing need.
An unannounced early morning visit was carried out by one of our Neighbourhood Managers and the Counter Fraud and Investigations Lead from the local council.
During the visit, the tenant was not present, but two men were found at the property. Both admitted to paying the tenant £400 per month each in rent.
Inside, officers discovered clear evidence of subletting, two beds in one bedroom, two more in the living room, and a mattress in the second bedroom.
The tenant was formally interviewed under caution by the Council and our Neighbourhood Manager. The case was also referred to the Council Tax department and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), as the tenant had been fraudulently claiming a single person discount and Universal Credit.
The sub-tenants vacated the property shortly after, and the tenant received a formal written warning.
The investigation confirmed tenancy fraud had taken place. Through joint working between Fairhive, the local authority and other partners, the misuse of public resources was stopped, and the home was returned to proper use, ensuring it could once again support someone in genuine housing need.
Report help to reveal and recover an abandoned property
Not everyone who lives in our homes behaves quite like you. A report was received about an overgrown garden at a Fairhive three-bedroom property, raising concerns that the home might have been left empty.
During a routine occupancy visit to a neighbouring property, a resident mentioned that the occupants of the home in question had “packed up and moved away three or four months ago.”
There had been no reports of anti-social behaviour, and the tenants had not contacted us to end their tenancy.
Further checks were carried out, including meter readings, photographs, unannounced visits, and follow-up letters. The case was referred to the Counter Fraud Team at the local Council for further investigation.
The Council confirmed that the tenants’ children had been withdrawn from school and the family was believed to have moved away.
On one occasion, one of the joint tenants answered a call from us and confirmed they had moved away permanently without formally ending the tenancy.
A Notice to Quit (NTQ) was then served, and the property was reclaimed without the need for legal proceedings.
The property was successfully recovered and has since been reallocated to a family on the housing register, ensuring that a much-needed three-bedroom home is now supporting a household in genuine need.
