Manchester City Council has launched a city-wide campaign to tackle social housing fraud, starting with tenancy amnesty.
The key amnesty, running until Friday 27th February, allows tenants who have been illegally subletting council or housing association homes to hand back their keys without facing immediate legal action.
According to the council, this first phase aims to recover homes for people in genuine need.
Cllr Gavin White, executive member for housing and development, said: ‘We know how important good quality, safe and secure housing is to the wellbeing of Mancunians. Good housing is a cornerstone of good health and is essential for us all to thrive. That’s why most people want a housing system that is fair and one that provides support to those that need it most.’
The timing of this campaign couldn’t be better. Figures show around 21,000 households are on the housing register, including 11,000 in priority need, and an estimated 3-6% of council tenancies could be fraudulent.
Once the amnesty ends, a dedicated team will investigate cases and take legal action where fraud is found. However, the amnesty does not apply to tenants who are already under investigation.
Examples of tenancy fraud include subletting a council home at market rent, living elsewhere while retaining a council property, or providing false information on a housing application.
The campaign is being delivered in partnership with the Manchester Housing Providers partnership (MHPP) and supports broader council efforts to manage housing demand, including bringing empty homes back into use and building at least 10,000 new social and affordable homes by 2032.
Cllr White added: ‘Every fraudulent tenancy – whether by accident or by deception – is a home that could be made available for families on the housing register or in temporary accommodation. Knowingly committing tenancy fraud is not a victimless crime – it impacts Manchester families, communities and costs the council millions of pounds every year. Money that could be better spent on services and support for our residents.
‘I would urge anyone who thinks they might be committing tenancy fraud to come forward during the amnesty without consequence, and we will work with those people to make sure they are renting legally and open up more social rent homes for families that need them.’
This article was originally published on our sister title site Localgov.legal.
Image: Denis Sebastian Tamas/UnSplash
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