Council's counter fraud team catches tenant illegally sub-letting property

Cabinet member says case “demonstrates our commitment to ensuring council homes are occupied by the people who are entitled to them”

Enfield Council has “recovered” a property that was being unlawfully sublet.

The recovery follows “proactive work” by the council’s counter-fraud team to identify homes not being occupied by the lawful tenant.

During targeted housing visits, officers found that the person living at the property was not the registered tenant and had been renting the home from them.

Following further investigation, the council established that the tenant – who has not been named – was no longer using the property as their sole and principal residence and was instead living elsewhere.

The tenant was invited to attend an interview under caution and, when presented with the evidence gathered during the investigation, chose to surrender the tenancy.

The property has now been returned to the council’s housing stock and will be reallocated to a household on Enfield’s housing waiting list.

Lee Chamberlain, the council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “Housing fraud is a crime against those in need. Every unlawfully sublet council home steals a home from those who genuinely need it.

“Our counter fraud team is working hard to identify those committing this crime to bring them to justice. If anyone is aware of a possible fraud they should report it to officers or myself. We all must fight against the abuse of public assets to ensure that council housing is used fairly and appropriately.

“Demand for social housing in Enfield is immense, with many households waiting for a suitable home. This case demonstrates our commitment to ensuring council homes are occupied by the people who are entitled to them and that these valuable homes are available to support local families and individuals.”

In addition, the council has recently participated in a pilot exercise with the Public Sector Fraud Authority, that matched council tenant data against Airbnb listings to help identify potentially unlawfully sublet properties.

The agreement with the short-term letting platform allows local councils to check social housing records against Airbnb listings, identifying properties being exploited by fraudsters.

Anyone who suspects that a council property is unoccupied or being unlawfully sublet can report their concerns in confidence via the council fraud page or by emailing [email protected].

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