Council housing
Council housing fraud
You’re likely to lose your tenancy and you could lose your right to council housing in the future if you’re caught committing housing fraud.
You may be fined or sent to prison if the fraud is serious.
Housing fraud includes:
- not telling the truth when applying for a property - for example claiming to have children when you do not
- sub-letting a property without permission
- living in a property after someone has died without the right to do so
How councils check for housing fraud
Councils will check:
- a tenant’s housing record against other records - for example Housing Benefit or the Electoral Roll
- that the genuine tenant lives at the property - for example asking to see the tenant’s passport and tenancy agreement
Checks can happen at any time during a tenancy, without any warning.
Report suspected housing fraud
Most councils have a telephone number for people to report suspicious behaviour. You do not have to give your name or address when reporting suspected fraud.