To round up Fraud Awareness Week 2025, we’re sharing the story of how a routine gas visit uncovered a significant case of tenancy fraud.
The background
A PH Jones’ gas engineer visited one of our properties and was met by Miss C*, who was not the registered tenant. Miss C complained that her rent had been increased to £1,000 per month.
The engineer reported this to our Fraud Officer, Alastair, who is part of the Tenancy Services team. Alastair discovered the legal tenant, Miss M*, had been unlawfully subletting the property to Miss C for almost four years after advertising it on GumTree.
What we did
During a chat with Miss C, Alastair gathered the following evidence:
- A self-described ‘legally binding’ written agreement between Miss M and Miss C titled ‘Rental Contract Agreement’ in which Miss M was described as the owner and landlord of the property.
- Bank statements showing several payments from Miss C to Miss M.
- WhatsApp chat logs in which Miss M asked Miss C to send her pictures of the gas meter readings for the property.
Our Housing Legal team worked with the Tenancy Services team to start possession proceedings against Miss M. The judge found Miss M’s actions breached tenancy terms under the Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013, as she’d dishonestly given up possession of her property and unlawfully sublet it for profit.
The outcome
Miss M was issued with an Unlawful Profit Order for the rent she’d received from Miss C and was ordered to repay just over £39,000. The property was successfully repossessed and given to a family in urgent need.
“This was a textbook example of collaboration,” said Peter Sandilands, Team Leader for Tenancy Fraud. “From the initial report to the final court decision, every department played a vital role. It’s a proud moment for us all.”
This case highlights how tenancy fraud leads to longer housing waiting lists, creates more than one victim, and costs the public money.
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*Names have been changed to protect identities.
