Abandoned Properties and Tenancy Fraud 

Abandoned Properties

Sometimes tenants leave their properties without telling us they are going. This leaves an empty home that could be let to someone on our waiting list who needs a place to live. Such properties can also attract vandalism or squatters.

Very often neighbours are the first to know and they call us so we can investigate.

If the tenant is not there, we can take action to regain possession of the property for someone else.

Squatting

Sometimes people move into an empty property without permission. This is called ’illegal occupation’ or ’squatting’.

Alternatively, a tenant might move out and sub-let a home we should be offering to someone on our waiting list.

We will investigate any illegal occupations, provide necessary advice and assistance and take prompt legal action to remove squatters from our properties.

The Social Fraud Initiative

We have been awarded a government grant to help identify 'housing cheats' across all social housing providers operating in Wolverhampton.

Following this, we have appointed a Social Housing Fraud Manager to help detect fraudsters who illegally occupy or sub-let single/multiple council housing and housing association flats and houses.

Tenancy abuse includes:

• Sub-letting the whole home to a single household 
• Multiple sub-lets within one property 
• Failure by tenant to use a property as their principal home 
• Wrongly claiming a right to ‘succession’ (retention of a tenancy following the death or departure of the tenant) 
• 'Key selling' (leaving a property and passing the keys on in return for a one-off lump sum or favour) 
• Obtaining a tenancy by making false claims about identity or circumstances

If you suspect tenancy abuse,  you can report it by filling in our Reporting Housing Fraud e- Form. Alternatively you can visit your local One Stop Shops, or call Homes Direct, on 01902 556789.

Your report will be treated in the strictest confidence and can be given anonymously.

Wolverhampton Homes  is under a duty to protect the public funds it administers, and to this end may use  any  information held for the prevention and detection of fraud. It may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes.

 For further information, see www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/council/corporate/finance/corruption_fraud/nfi.htm
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