The Tenancy Fraud Forum estimate that at least 148,000 social housing homes in England are subject to some form of tenancy fraud. This can take the form of illegal sub-letting or using false information to get a house in the first place.

Ipswich Borough Council is committed to tackling this fraud in order to make best use of its housing stock.

What is tenancy fraud?

• Unauthorised sub-letting (a tenant claims to live at a property but sub-lets all or part without the landlord's consent).
• Non-occupation (a tenant claims property as their principal home but lives elsewhere).
• Using false information to obtain a tenancy.
• Key selling (a tenant leaves a property and passes the keys on in return for a favour or payment).
• Unauthorised exchange and assignment (a tenant gives the tenancy to a partner or family member who lived in the property with them without obtaining the landlord's permission).
• Wrongly claimed succession (the occupier is not a person entitled to succeed after a tenant's death or after they have vacated the property and/or succession rights have been exhausted).

Signs to look out for

You might know someone has a home that the Council does not know about or someone who gave false information in their housing application.

You might suspect someone of sub-letting if you have seen them collect rent from your neighbours or you might be suspicious because tenants of a property keep changing. Alternatively, you might suspect no one is living in a property, returning only occasionally to collect post.

If you suspect tenancy fraud please contact the Council, providing details and the reasons you suspect fraudulent occupation. Your identity will be kept confidential. Call us or report online via the pink button.

Report it

Suffolk Tenancy Fraud Forum

The Tenancy Fraud Forum is an independent not-for-profit organisation which has been established to bring social landlords together to combat tenancy fraud.

Ipswich Borough Council launched the Suffolk Tenancy Fraud Regional Forum in 2013.

If you are a social housing provider that operates within this region and you wish to be part of this tenancy fraud group please call 01473 433999