Tackling tenancy fraud In Brighton

Over the past year (2024/25), 6 x 1-bedroom flats and 4 x 2-bedroom flats were taken back by the council, so that we can allocate them to those who are most in need and entitled to make these properties their homes.

Making homes available for people who need them

With huge demand for housing in the city, we want to ensure council homes go to people who need them.

Some of the flats taken back were being sublet. Others were abandoned and left unoccupied by tenants, who moved out without telling the council they no longer needed the property.

The homes have been allocated to people on the city’s housing register, with new tenants settling in or moving in shortly.

The Cabinet Office estimates that tenancy fraud costs the public purse £78,300 a year for each property. This takes into account the cost of accommodating genuine applicants in temporary housing and other costs.

Tenancy fraud includes:

• Subletting or giving up a council property to someone else without permission

• Leaving a council property and not telling the council

• Passing the keys for a property to someone else for money

• Giving false information when applying for a property – for example, someone claiming to be homeless when they already own a property or live at an address elsewhere

• Wrongly claiming succession rights by trying to take over a property tenancy without the right to do so

• Falsely trying to purchase a council property under the Right to Buy scheme

Councillor Gill Williams, Cabinet member for Housing and New Homes, said: “Tenancy fraud is a criminal offence, and it is not a victimless crime. Fraudulent use of properties keeps homes away from people on the housing waiting list who need them more.

“There’s also a significant cost to the council and we will continue to take action against anyone found committing tenancy fraud.”

Examples 

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These are some examples where fraud investigations were carried out by council staff in response to information from the public, and tenants voluntarily gave up their tenancies as a result.

• A tenant was living with their partner in another town while their council flat was empty. The tenant also made a Right to Buy application to purchase the property, which they were not entitled to do as they were not living in the property.

• A tenant was subletting their council home and renting a private flat nearby.

• A tenant abandoned their council flat to live nearby in a house owned by their family.

If anyone suspects someone isn’t living in their council house or is subletting it, they can report it in confidence. Please email [email protected].uk, visit www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/tenancy-fraud and fill in the online form, or call 01273 291700.