Tenancy Fraud Key Amnesty – 1st – 31st May 2017

Tenancy fraud can take a number of forms including:

• Giving false or misleading information on a housing or homeless application;
• Abandoning or not occupying a property;
• Sub-letting a property to someone who is not entitled to live there;
• Providing false or misleading information on an application to purchase the property under the right to buy scheme.

Housing associations and the Housing Executive take any suspected cases of tenancy fraud seriously and investigate these fully. This may result in prosecution for obtaining a tenancy by withholding information, making false statements and or/recovery of the property. However, during May 2017 an amnesty is in operation so if keys are returned to the Housing Executive or a housing association during this time no such legal action will be taken for the tenancy fraud.

Keys can be returned to the Housing Executive or housing association’s local office where a tenancy termination should be signed. The tenancy will be terminated with immediate effect without the need for the required notice period. However, failure to sign the termination may result in a four-week rental charge being applied.

Tenants who are committing tenancy fraud can hand their keys in to the Housing Executive or the following housing association offices:

Abbeyfield & Wesley

Alpha Housing

Apex Housing Association

Ark Housing

Choice Housing

Clanmil Housing Association

Connswater Homes

Grove Housing Association

Habinteg Housing Association

NB Housing

Newington Housing Association

Radius Housing

Rural Housing Association

South Ulster Housing Association

St Matthews Housing Association

Triangle Housing Association

Woodvale & Shankill Community Housing