cressida Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Heard this on the radio this morning, not sure how it will work but there are council houses rented by some people who sub-let their houses and then all live together in another http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/8756202/Council-tenants-cost-taxpayer-2bn-a-year-by-illegally-subletting-homes.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferno Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Good.In Hackney people rent flats from people who rent flats from people who rent flats from the council, a skim-off takes place all the way down the line. There are quite a few council tenants on more than £50k a year, which is also wrong IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeeCee Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Heard this on the radio this morning, not sure how it will work but there are council houses owned by some people who sub-let their houses and then all live together in another http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/8756202/Council-tenants-cost-taxpayer-2bn-a-year-by-illegally-subletting-homes.html If they own the council house its not a problem is it, only if they are tenants ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cressida Posted January 11, 2012 Author Share Posted January 11, 2012 If they own the council house its not a problem is it, only if they are tenants ? edited my post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rollwithit Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 At the moment Subletting is not a criminal offence, just a breach of the council’s tenancy conditions that Sheffield Homes administrates. However, trying to prove such an allegation is easier said than done. The evidence has to stand up in a court of law to either evict someone or in future criminally prosecute them. Many reports of subletting are received anonymously with either no or little supporting information making it hard to investigate unless the person occupying the property is daft enough confirm they are privately renting the property. Subletting where there is no issue with benefit fraud is easier to get away with. The real tenant just names the subtenants as occupants to the council. When the Housing Department does try to investigate, the real tenant is always working unsocial hours and never available. There is just not enough resources for the council to persistently watch suspect property's 24/7 especially with little initial evidence or leads. Such surveillance can even been seen as harassment. The only way to improve subletting is: 1. For councils to allocate resources to investigating such allegations. 2. Like the DWP, social landlords should not accept/follow up reports if they have no information. Lots of times anonymous reports are just neighbours trying to use the landlord as a way of harassing each other. 3. The judiciary sides with the social landlords more. If nothing like the above is done then its all-just media spin with a bark and no bite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mecky Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 I thought it was already a criminal offence anyway, it's certainly amoral. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadingNorth Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 I thought it was already a criminal offence anyway, it's certainly amoral. It isn't; just a breach of contract. (Which is a legal issue, but not a criminal one.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricgem2002 Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 is this because the government are missing out on tax not been paid to them instead of the tenants earning some tax free money:huh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey Shaw Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Heard this on the radio this morning, not sure how it will work but there are council houses rented by some people who sub-let their houses and then all live together in another http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/8756202/Council-tenants-cost-taxpayer-2bn-a-year-by-illegally-subletting-homes.html Subletting is a civil wrong: breach of contract (unless permitted in Letting Agreement or, if not, authorised by statute). So the offenders should be sued. Why criminalise, though (higher standard of proof required)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chem1st Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Whilst it is unfair for this to be done, it is not as bad as buy to let. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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