Blow the whistle on housing cheats
Hounslow Homes is taking part in a national campaign encouraging everyone to blow the whistle on housing cheats. We all need to make sure that homes are allocated to the people who are eligible for them.
Housing fraud includes:
- Giving false information in order to obtain an offer of housing
- Not advising a social housing provider of something you should have done in order to obtain social housing
- Subletting the whole of your home to somebody else
- Subletting part of your home without the consent of the landlord
- Remaining in a property after the actual tenant has left or died (in some cases this may be allowed, but only applies when certain conditions are met and the landlord is aware)
- Paying money to someone to persuade them to exchange homes
Anyone found committing housing fraud could be evicted from their home as well as face criminal charges.
If you suspect someone has fraudulently received a social housing tenancy or someone is living in a house they shouldn’t be, please report it to us.
You can leave a message on the hotline by calling 020 8583 3777 or you can email us at: tenancyfraud@hounslowhomes.org.uk. Your information will be dealt with in confidence.
Fraud Facts
- Conservative estimates suggest between 1 per cent and 4 per cent of social housing is unlawfully sublet.
- Most cases of hardcore tenancy fraud, with tenants subletting for profit, are found in London.
- The average contested county court action to recover an unlawful sublet costs £5,000 to £6,000.