Resident guidance: Rented tenants - Last updated 25 March 2026
Housing fraud
Housing fraud cheats other people of the chance to have a home that they need. We take reports of housing fraud very seriously at Anchor.
This page explains what housing fraud is and how you can report it to us confidentially.
In this guidance you’ll find:
- How to report housing fraud to Anchor
- What is housing fraud?
- Information for victims of unlawful subletting
How to report housing fraud to Anchor
You can report housing fraud directly to your location manager, by calling our Customer Experience Hub on 0800 731 2020 or via our website contact page here. Reports can remain confidential.
What is housing fraud?
When somebody with a council or housing association home rents it out without permission or obtains a home through providing false information, they are guilty of housing fraud. They are using up valuable housing spaces and depriving families and vulnerable people on the register.
Housing fraud can be any of the following:
- Unlawful subletting - This is where the person who the property is rented to moves out and charges a higher rent so that they make a profit.
- Not their principal home - This is where someone has a council or housing association property that they do not live in all the time. They may stay with someone else such as a partner.
- Fraudulent applications - Sometimes people get a council or housing association property by giving false information when making their application. Mutual exchanges and assignments must be approved by the landlord, if the tenants have not requested their landlord's permission it may be because they do not wish them to know about their circumstances.
- Ineligible succession - This is where someone tries to succeed a tenancy after the tenant's death when they are not eligible. This usually involves claiming to have lived with the deceased tenant before their death, when they in fact lived elsewhere.
Information for victims of unlawful subletting
If you are renting a property from a tenant of a social landlord, you may be a victim of fraud. Once an unauthorised sub-letting situation has been identified, the sub-tenant faces a risk of being illegally evicted by the tenant (the person you thought was your landlord).
If this happens to you, there is advice and support available via the Victim Support website.