Tenancy fraud team at major social landlord recovers 143 homes in 2023/24

Social landlord L&Q has revealed that its tenancy fraud team recovered 143 homes from April 2023 to March 2024.

It also reported that the team, which includes four qualified investigators, received 601 new referrals, all of which had desktop investigations completed at a minimum.

More than 200 visits were made to homes identified as fraud risks, with most of these taking place out of hours.

“As a result, we’ve received nine voluntary vacation notices from residents, alongside us serving notice to quit and notice of seeking possession orders on 55 tenancies,” L&Q said.

Two unlawful profit orders were secured.

The landlord highlighted how ending tenancy fraud requires coordination between different partners, from local authorities to the police.

“We have a range of partnerships and data sharing agreements which allow us to consider appropriate legal action which may include prosecution. Last year, we conducted 20 interviews, 8 of which were under caution, and reclaimed more than £40,000 in illegal profits,” it said.

Nicola Evans, Tenancy Fraud Manager at L&Q and Chair of the G15 Fraud Group, said: “I’m so proud of my team for building on the success of previous years. Their continued efforts with our partners, colleagues and residents mean we’re recovering homes when waiting lists are at an all-time high.

“It’s sometimes said that tenancy fraud is a victimless crime – it’s anything but. With every property that’s sublet illegally, and every tenancy obtained dishonestly, that’s another family or individual deprived of a home. A stark yet useful reminder of the challenges posed by tenancy fraud and a reason why we should continue to make it a priority.”