0:00:03 > 0:00:05I'm Michelle Ackerley.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08My parents both grew up on council estates, and as a family,
0:00:08 > 0:00:12we understand the difference social housing can make to people's lives.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18But across the UK, there's a chronic shortage
0:00:18 > 0:00:20of council and housing association homes.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24I know so many friends and so many people
0:00:24 > 0:00:26that just literally don't have anywhere to live.
0:00:26 > 0:00:27Adding to the crisis,
0:00:27 > 0:00:30some tenants are abusing the system,
0:00:30 > 0:00:34holding on to properties they no longer need or, even worse,
0:00:34 > 0:00:38unlawfully subletting them and coining in a small fortune.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41Subletting social housing is wrong.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43It's wrong... It's illegal and it's wrong.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46So, every day we'll be with the housing investigators
0:00:46 > 0:00:49as they crack down on those rogue tenants...
0:00:49 > 0:00:51County court bailiffs.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53..reclaim properties...
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Anybody in?
0:00:55 > 0:00:58..and give them to families in genuine need.
0:00:58 > 0:00:59All of those keys are yours.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Oh, don't, cos you'll start me off again.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06This is Council House Crackdown.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Our reporter, property expert Luke Doonan,
0:01:10 > 0:01:14also grew up on a council estate. And for the last six months,
0:01:14 > 0:01:18he's been working alongside dedicated housing investigators
0:01:18 > 0:01:20who will stop at nothing to track down
0:01:20 > 0:01:23every single tenant who's abusing the system.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Today, a tenancy cheat with multiple properties,
0:01:28 > 0:01:35whose housing fraud landed her a £160,000 fine and a jail term.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37I don't think for a minute that when she came into the room
0:01:37 > 0:01:41that she ever suspected this was particularly serious.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45A fabulous flat in one of London's busiest tourist hotspots
0:01:45 > 0:01:47is ruined in a subletting scandal.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50- Oh, my God. Wow!- Yeah.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Tenant's taken it upon herself to knock out the wall
0:01:53 > 0:01:55- and install some saloon doors. - What is that?
0:01:55 > 0:01:58And we'll see how those who abuse the system
0:01:58 > 0:02:00don't get away with it for long.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04When I showed the judge and the court all of this evidence,
0:02:04 > 0:02:05it was pretty overwhelming.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12With property at such a premium, more and more people
0:02:12 > 0:02:16are turning to social housing to put a roof above their heads.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18But despite such high demand,
0:02:18 > 0:02:21existing stock isn't always being used properly.
0:02:23 > 0:02:24Yet, thanks to new laws
0:02:24 > 0:02:28and the tireless work of council and housing association officers,
0:02:28 > 0:02:29the crackdown on housing fraud
0:02:29 > 0:02:32can now see tenancy cheats end up behind bars.
0:02:36 > 0:02:37Our first case came to light
0:02:37 > 0:02:40when neighbours complained of a fight in the street...
0:02:43 > 0:02:48This street. This is a story of a tenant who used an especially lovely
0:02:48 > 0:02:53flat in a tourist hotspot as a cash cow and then trashed the place.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55Camden in North London.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59With its famous market and lock, not to mention bars and cafes,
0:02:59 > 0:03:03it's one of the biggest tourist destinations in the capital.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05To have a housing association flat here
0:03:05 > 0:03:08is to have done very well in the lottery of housing.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12So, it's all the more surprising the tenant of this flat
0:03:12 > 0:03:14threw it away by misusing it.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21The official tenant had been living here for more than a decade
0:03:21 > 0:03:24when suspicions that she was unlawfully subletting
0:03:24 > 0:03:28first came to light in 2014, when two sub-tenants were seen
0:03:28 > 0:03:32fighting in the street over their deposit money.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Shereen Horne is a housing officer at Circle Housing.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38She tells Luke how she was first alerted to the problem.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43I received a telephone call from one of the residents,
0:03:43 > 0:03:48who was quite concerned because there was a dispute outside the property.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50- Right.- And when they went to find out what was going on,
0:03:50 > 0:03:54- what they had found is that the subtenants...- Right.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56..were arguing amongst one another
0:03:56 > 0:03:59about the returns of deposit money that they had paid.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03Shereen was keen to know exactly who these subtenants were
0:04:03 > 0:04:05and who they were paying their money to,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08so she decided to pay them a visit,
0:04:08 > 0:04:13where she discovered her tenant had been quite the opportunist.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17They explained that basically they were a tenant at the property and
0:04:17 > 0:04:20they were trying to get back a £1,000 deposit that they had paid.
0:04:20 > 0:04:26- OK.- They also explained that the landlord, who was our resident...
0:04:26 > 0:04:29- Yeah.- ..had informed them that in order to get back that deposit,
0:04:29 > 0:04:33they would need to find another resident to...
0:04:33 > 0:04:34rent that room to.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37So, the impetus is for the resident, if you - or the subtenant -
0:04:37 > 0:04:40if you want back your £1,000 deposit,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43you need to get another person into that room and you can get back...
0:04:43 > 0:04:45- get their deposit.- Sure.- So that would be your refund.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48- Shocking, shocking, shocking. - Yeah.
0:04:48 > 0:04:53It seemed Shereen's tenant was not only unlawfully subletting her home,
0:04:53 > 0:04:56e-mails between her and the sub tenant suggested she was actually
0:04:56 > 0:04:59getting them to manage the property for her as well...
0:05:02 > 0:05:05The reason for that was that Shereen's official tenant...
0:05:06 > 0:05:07..was in Brazil.
0:05:11 > 0:05:12Actually, she had moved...
0:05:12 > 0:05:16Not moved to Brazil but she was spending a lot of time in Brazil,
0:05:16 > 0:05:20which was a breach of the terms and conditions of the tenancy.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22- Sure.- She didn't inform us and she's not using the property
0:05:22 > 0:05:24as her main and principal home.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Shereen could see her tenant was in South America
0:05:27 > 0:05:29by looking at her social media use.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31We had a look at social networks.
0:05:31 > 0:05:37She also had a picture of herself in Brazil on the MySpace ad and also
0:05:37 > 0:05:40we could see that monies that she was receiving
0:05:40 > 0:05:44from rents were actually being paid into an account in Brazil.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48She managed her social housing flat online from a holiday lets website,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50and she left nothing to chance.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54So, here we can see that she's got an advert here.
0:05:54 > 0:05:55- OK.- Erm...
0:05:55 > 0:05:57So, this is an advert that she's placed
0:05:57 > 0:06:00- in the public domain... - Mm-hmm.- ..to sublet the property.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03The whole of the property - she says there's a whole apartment to let.
0:06:03 > 0:06:04Wow.
0:06:04 > 0:06:09She's got prices for individual rooms, prices for cleaning,
0:06:09 > 0:06:11prices if you want a friend to stay over.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15- Really?- Yeah. So, she was renting it almost as if it was a little B&B.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18She's even offering discounts...
0:06:18 > 0:06:20- Wow.- ..for staying more than six months.
0:06:20 > 0:06:25The price is £2,250 per month for the whole of the property.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29You can do a short stay where you can stay for a few days
0:06:29 > 0:06:30and I think that was £650.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33- Sounds like a hotel.- Yeah. So, she had a good little scheme.
0:06:35 > 0:06:40So, the tenant was advertising the flat for £2,250 a month,
0:06:40 > 0:06:44but the actual rent was nowhere near that amount.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49The monthly rent to us was £635.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Right, so she's making between about £1,500 and £1,800.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56- Yeah.- And it was this ad that first attracted the two subtenants
0:06:56 > 0:06:58found fighting in the street.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02Shereen went to interview them and they both gave witness statements.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06They were renting the rooms unwittingly, thinking that our
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- tenant actually owned the property and everything was legitimate.- OK.
0:07:09 > 0:07:14It wasn't until I contacted them that they realised what was going on.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17So Shereen brought in the local authority, Camden Council,
0:07:17 > 0:07:21who have greater resources, to help investigate the case.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26It was clear the tenant was receiving rent into a bank account
0:07:26 > 0:07:30in Brazil from the subtenants in her Camden flat.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Shereen had enough evidence to act.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35We did decide to go for a criminal prosecution.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39- Right.- Because we had so much evidence, so, yeah,
0:07:39 > 0:07:41we decided to go for a crim...
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Well, Camden decided to go for a criminal prosecution.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46We decided to go for the civil action, possession action...
0:07:46 > 0:07:49- Right.- ..based on probability.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51And what she did was she made an agreement with us,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54out of court, to return the property.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58But the tenant went back on her promise,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00and failed to return the keys.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04Shereen was forced to bring in the bailiffs, but she wasn't prepared
0:08:04 > 0:08:07for what they found when they first entered the flat.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Well, Luke, this is the property.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12- OK.- Three double bedrooms, and where we're standing
0:08:12 > 0:08:15is the fight that brought it to our attention in the first place.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18- Right.- So, this is where the subtenants were actually arguing
0:08:18 > 0:08:19over the deposit and so on.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Obviously, this is an amazing location. I'm desperate to get
0:08:22 > 0:08:25- inside to take a look. Shall we head in?- Let's go and have a look.- Cool.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32The flat had been totally trashed -
0:08:32 > 0:08:34Shereen took these photos of the scene.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Bearing in mind, we have done a clearance.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43Yeah. So, we don't quite know...
0:08:43 > 0:08:45So, all the clutter that you saw in the pictures aren't...
0:08:45 > 0:08:46- Isn't there any more.- OK.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56The mess might have been cleared,
0:08:56 > 0:09:00but that's only revealed more significant damage to the property.
0:09:00 > 0:09:01So, this is the kitchen area.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04- It's massive, isn't it? It's really big.- It is, it's a large kitchen.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07The problem here is the residents installed their own kitchen units.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10- Yeah.- So, we are going to have to rip all of this out
0:09:10 > 0:09:14- and install a new kitchen.- Normally, tenants aren't allowed to just rip
0:09:14 > 0:09:16kitchens out and put their own thing in, are they?
0:09:16 > 0:09:19What they would have to do is put in a request...
0:09:19 > 0:09:23- Right.- And send the insurance details of the works and...
0:09:23 > 0:09:25But, normally, we wouldn't allow a resident
0:09:25 > 0:09:27just to rip out a kitchen and put their own in.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36So, Luke, this is the bathroom.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39As you can see, the residents ripped out the bathroom installed
0:09:39 > 0:09:44by Circle 33 and have installed their own bathroom...
0:09:44 > 0:09:46- or shower facility. - Of sorts.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry in here.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51She's certainly got her own taste, hasn't she?
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Definitely. She just went ahead and ripped out all of the appliances
0:09:54 > 0:09:57that we had installed, and put in her own.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07As you can see, there's lots of graffiti on the walls.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10- That's pretty...pretty grim, isn't it?- Yeah, it is.
0:10:10 > 0:10:11- Oh, my God. Wow.- Yeah.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15Tenant's taken it upon herself to knock out the wall
0:10:15 > 0:10:16and install some saloon doors.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18- What is that?- Yeah.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21So, she's kind of removed doors...
0:10:21 > 0:10:22- Yeah.- Put on these...
0:10:23 > 0:10:24- ..things.- Yeah.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27She's treated it like it's actually her own flat, like she owns it.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29Like she owns it, yes, definitely, I would say so.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Especially as she's been renting it out as well.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40A lot of people wouldn't think this was your average social housing.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42- And it's got a garden...- Yeah. - ..in the middle of Camden Town.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45- Yes.- So, prime, prime, prime property.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49Definitely. Well sought-after and three bedrooms, as well.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Such large properties are highly sought-after for families,
0:10:52 > 0:10:54especially as this one has a garden.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58Shereen is eager to get it back, so she can reallocate it.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02I guess the next thing is that this will be refurbished.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04It's going to be refurbished -
0:11:04 > 0:11:06we'll have to fit a new kitchen, a new bathroom.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10Even putting to one side the unlawful subletting of this property,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14the changes that have been made are a breach of tenancy
0:11:14 > 0:11:17and will cost a substantial amount to put right.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20Our surveyor has estimated a £20,000 cost...
0:11:20 > 0:11:22- God.- ..to get this property back up to scratch.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Three months on, and the tenant's whereabouts are unknown.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31But the council is pursuing criminal proceedings, and the flat
0:11:31 > 0:11:35is well on the way to becoming a place for someone to call home.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39Our contractors have done a great job in clearing the garden space
0:11:39 > 0:11:42and the property, so now we're just going to focus on getting
0:11:42 > 0:11:45the works done, changing the kitchens, changing the bathrooms
0:11:45 > 0:11:47and getting the property back into the state
0:11:47 > 0:11:49that it was when the tenant moved in.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53We haven't got a family allocated to the property yet
0:11:53 > 0:11:56because of the extensive works that have to be carried out.
0:11:56 > 0:11:57We're just going to crack on,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00get the work done and have a family in here.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03It's a beautiful property in a really nice location
0:12:03 > 0:12:04and in a good neighbourhood.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07The residents are really nice here,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10so somebody would really make use of this property.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18I think social housing is very, very important.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21If you look around here, you've got people living out on the street.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25Some of them do it by choice but some of them don't do it by choice.
0:12:25 > 0:12:31There's an amazing amount of money that people have to pay
0:12:31 > 0:12:33to live in private rented accommodation.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36So, yes, social housing is very, very important.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40We can't neglect people just because we've got money.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42There are people that need housing -
0:12:42 > 0:12:46some of them work, some of them don't work,
0:12:46 > 0:12:47but housing is a basic...
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Shelter is a basic human right.
0:12:50 > 0:12:55I think that they've sold off a huge amount of social housing and never
0:12:55 > 0:12:58replaced it, and there is absolutely nowhere for people to go any more.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01The population is increasing and the government are not...
0:13:03 > 0:13:06..acknowledging that. They're not building to replace what's gone
0:13:06 > 0:13:09already and they're certainly not increasing the stock.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12I think there's a strain on social housing -
0:13:12 > 0:13:14probably more in London because there's just too many people.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18I think that's just what it is, it's just too many people,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21we're on an island and there's just not enough houses and maybe some
0:13:21 > 0:13:24people are sitting in social houses that shouldn't really be there.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30In the battle against tenancy fraud,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33some councils and housing associations
0:13:33 > 0:13:35are taking a proactive approach.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38In December, Lewes in East Sussex
0:13:38 > 0:13:41launched a no-questions-asked key amnesty.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44Anyone who was misusing their property could hand in the keys
0:13:44 > 0:13:47without legal action being taken against them.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49With a shortage of housing stock,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52and over 1,700 people on their waiting list,
0:13:52 > 0:13:56any reclaimed properties will be quickly put to good use.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59And in Cornwall, another recent key amnesty
0:13:59 > 0:14:01led to the recovery of 16 properties
0:14:01 > 0:14:03ranging from one-bedroom flats
0:14:03 > 0:14:05to three-bedroom houses.
0:14:09 > 0:14:15The amount of unlawful profits some social housing tenants are making is shocking.
0:14:15 > 0:14:16In our next case,
0:14:16 > 0:14:20the tenant was renting out her council flat using a middleman,
0:14:20 > 0:14:22and charging the subtenant three times the amount
0:14:22 > 0:14:24she was paying in rent.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30This is Biani Gonzalez. She's at the heart of an £11,000
0:14:30 > 0:14:33unlawful subletting fraud in Clapham, South London.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38In 2002, she moved into this two-bedroom flat on the large
0:14:38 > 0:14:42Poynders Garden council estate with her two children.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44But in September 2013,
0:14:44 > 0:14:48a routine check showed something wasn't quite right.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52Ben Marshall from Lambeth Council investigated the case.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56A tenancy inspection by one of the council's housing officers
0:14:56 > 0:14:59found there were five adults living in the lounge and two bedrooms,
0:14:59 > 0:15:03and not one of them was the official tenant.
0:15:03 > 0:15:04According to council records,
0:15:04 > 0:15:08it should have been Biani Gonzalez and her two children in residence.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10Luke has been finding out more.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13- One of the housing officers went to this property...- Mm-hmm.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18..and found some random people in it that weren't the tenant.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21There were two bedrooms. There were a couple in one bedroom
0:15:21 > 0:15:24and there was a man in another bedroom, but the living room
0:15:24 > 0:15:28was also being used as a bedroom and had a lock on it, and another couple
0:15:28 > 0:15:31were living in there. So, immediate alarm bells,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33- and immediately, it's obvious it's sublet.- Sure.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37In this type of case,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40you could assume it would be the official tenant who was subletting.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43But one of the couples that were in the flat told investigators
0:15:43 > 0:15:46it wasn't Gonzalez they were paying their rent to,
0:15:46 > 0:15:49but a third party who was acting as an agent for her.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55It's a really interesting one this, because what really transpired
0:15:55 > 0:15:58is that the property was sublet through an...
0:15:58 > 0:16:00- effectively an agent.- OK.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04Miss Gonzalez sublet the property for £1,200 a month.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07- OK.- Her rent's about 420.
0:16:07 > 0:16:12But then he's gone on to sublet it further to individuals.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14So, subletting the rooms,
0:16:14 > 0:16:16the two bedrooms, and subletting the living room as well.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19- OK.- For even more than £1,200. - Right.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23It was evident that Gonzalez had some questions to answer,
0:16:23 > 0:16:25so the team brought her into the office
0:16:25 > 0:16:28for a formal interview under caution.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32Her first reaction in the interview was, "No, I'm not subletting it.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36"It's just a friend. He's abused my trust whilst I was on holiday
0:16:36 > 0:16:38"for a few weeks and I had no idea
0:16:38 > 0:16:40"that these strange people were in the property."
0:16:40 > 0:16:44But the agent told quite a different story.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47But then he's told us, "No, no, it's a business arrangement.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50"We met each other through mutual acquaintances
0:16:50 > 0:16:53"and it was very clearly a business arrangement."
0:16:53 > 0:16:56But Gonzalez immediately took steps to cover her tracks.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59And then what happened after the interview with her,
0:16:59 > 0:17:03she then came and moved back into the flat herself, back into
0:17:03 > 0:17:05one of the bedrooms herself - not with her children, just her -
0:17:05 > 0:17:07to be able to come back and say,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09"No, no, look, Council, Lambeth Council,
0:17:09 > 0:17:13"I do live here and it's all a...it's all a tragic mistake."
0:17:13 > 0:17:16The agent, meanwhile, was quite willing to tell the authorities
0:17:16 > 0:17:19exactly what Gonzalez had been up to.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21And he even provided the tenancy agreement
0:17:21 > 0:17:22and proof of his bank statements
0:17:22 > 0:17:26to show the money that he'd been paying her.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28These bank statements were just the start.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30Ben and his investigative team
0:17:30 > 0:17:35started to build a substantial file of evidence on the Gonzalez case.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38And the star exhibit was a little pink book
0:17:38 > 0:17:41provided by one of the subletting couples.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44I think one of the key things that we came across
0:17:44 > 0:17:48was when me met one of the couples in one of the bedrooms...
0:17:48 > 0:17:49were from New Zealand.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52The lady that was there provided us with her...
0:17:52 > 0:17:54her rent book, effectively.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Oh, wow. This is a very old-fashioned way of...
0:17:56 > 0:17:59- Absolutely.- OK.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02But it...it names her and it says how much they've paid
0:18:02 > 0:18:04every two weeks, their deposit.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Wow. Minimum stay, three months.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10Notice after three months, two weeks in advance, two weeks' deposit -
0:18:10 > 0:18:13£270.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17The official rent on this property was around £420 a month.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21This couple alone were paying £540 a month,
0:18:21 > 0:18:25and there were three other subtenants paying, too.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27And all the dates - very, very clear there.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31So, immediately, you can tell that this rent that this lady was paying
0:18:31 > 0:18:35covers the council rent in its entirety - more than.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37Yep. And that is just one room.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39That's just one of the rooms.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43This rent book and a flurry of texts from the occupants to the agent
0:18:43 > 0:18:47showed considerable sums of money changing hands.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49Ben's next move was to take a deeper look
0:18:49 > 0:18:51into the finances of Biani Gonzalez.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56I felt confident that we had all the evidence we needed for subletting,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59but obviously, getting hold of the financial aspect
0:18:59 > 0:19:01- is really important too.- Yeah. - And so, absolutely,
0:19:01 > 0:19:03we went for bank statements,
0:19:03 > 0:19:05and we got all her bank statements... Relevant...
0:19:05 > 0:19:07So we have something here we can have a look at?
0:19:07 > 0:19:11- And, if you see down there... - Wow, that's detailed.- ..this side.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14This is various cash going in,
0:19:14 > 0:19:18money going in, and it clearly shows that she's receiving the money.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21So, the evidence was looking damning for Gonzalez.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Ben also then looked into the agent, but in the end,
0:19:24 > 0:19:26decided not to pursue him.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29In the end, we decided in the public interest
0:19:29 > 0:19:32that we didn't have sufficient evidence to go after him.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35He'd been a relatively willing witness in that he'd given us his
0:19:35 > 0:19:37bank statements and the tenancy agreement
0:19:37 > 0:19:39- and bits and pieces like that. - Right.
0:19:39 > 0:19:44The council now had enough evidence to take Gonzalez to civil court.
0:19:44 > 0:19:49We went to trial at the civil court and again, she defended herself
0:19:49 > 0:19:53and said, "No, no, it's not a sublet, it's all a mistake."
0:19:53 > 0:19:58But when I showed the judge and the court all of this evidence,
0:19:58 > 0:20:03it was pretty overwhelming and actually, the morning of the trial,
0:20:03 > 0:20:08she said, "Yeah, you're right, it's a terrible situation. I'm sorry."
0:20:09 > 0:20:12So, she confessed. But once in court,
0:20:12 > 0:20:16Gonzalez came up with an explanation of why she'd done it.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19She explained to the judge in the civil hearing
0:20:19 > 0:20:23that she'd had to go through this whole subletting it
0:20:23 > 0:20:27to be able to afford the deposit for her Right to Buy mortgage.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30She'd not told us anything about this beforehand,
0:20:30 > 0:20:32not at the interview under caution,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34not in any of the previous correspondence.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Just, on that day, she kind of saw this mounted against her
0:20:37 > 0:20:40and I think just let it all out.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42The judge was not impressed.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45He awarded the Council immediate possession of the flat
0:20:45 > 0:20:49and an Unlawful Profit Order of £11,500.
0:20:49 > 0:20:50Not only that,
0:20:50 > 0:20:54but Gonzalez was ordered to pay a further £12,000 costs.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57The judge awarded us the property back immediately
0:20:57 > 0:20:59and there is a new family in there now.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02Once a property goes under the Right to Buy, it's gone forever.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05So, amazing work for you guys to make sure that didn't happen
0:21:05 > 0:21:07and, indeed, to get the property back.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13But the judge in the civil court felt that the fraud was so serious,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16there was also a criminal case to answer.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18So he referred the case to the magistrates' court
0:21:18 > 0:21:20for a further hearing.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25As Biani Gonzalez goes to criminal court, we find out her fate later.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28I would expect her to give an indication today
0:21:28 > 0:21:30of whether she's going to plead guilty or not.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36Subletting is something I am totally against.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38If you've been given a chance in life,
0:21:38 > 0:21:42it is unfair then to rent that room out to somebody else.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Just because we've got a shortage of housing,
0:21:44 > 0:21:46it's a really lucrative business.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49If you've got a spare room or if you can potentially get a property which
0:21:49 > 0:21:52you can rent out, you can know that you can make a lot of money off it.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56So... Money. Temptation for most things.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58Let's be clear about this -
0:21:58 > 0:22:00I don't think it's a class thing or a social thing.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03I don't think that bankers came from deprived backgrounds -
0:22:03 > 0:22:07they were quite happy to steal people's money.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Why would you expect that you won't get a proportion of people
0:22:10 > 0:22:12from any social group who would be the same?
0:22:12 > 0:22:16For me, people that illegally sublet their council accommodation,
0:22:16 > 0:22:19in the first place do not need it.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21They never needed it in the first place, so,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24in my view, that is fraud
0:22:24 > 0:22:26and it's morally wrong.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34In Barnet, a 55-year-old singer and musician claimed
0:22:34 > 0:22:36she was still living in her council home,
0:22:36 > 0:22:40despite moving in to her husband's five-bedroomed house.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45An unannounced visit to the property by investigators
0:22:45 > 0:22:48found her son's girlfriend, who claimed she was staying there.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52A further look around revealed two letters addressed to two other
0:22:52 > 0:22:55people living at the flat, who weren't family members.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58The tenant went to court and was found guilty of two counts of fraud
0:22:58 > 0:23:01for illegally keeping hold of her council property.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09Our next case is about a woman who applied for, and got,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11not one but two council properties,
0:23:11 > 0:23:14and she wasn't living in either of them.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21This is Doris Lawson, a council tenant since 1994,
0:23:21 > 0:23:25and a woman caught with one council property she fraudulently bought
0:23:25 > 0:23:29at a knock-down price under the Right to Buy scheme,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32and one she illegally sublet,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35all the while living with her husband at a third address.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39Nigel Brown is the anti-fraud manager
0:23:39 > 0:23:42of the Royal Borough of Greenwich in South London
0:23:42 > 0:23:45and the man responsible for investigating the case.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51In December 1994, Doris Lawson claimed a one-bedroom flat
0:23:51 > 0:23:54from the Royal Borough of Greenwich -
0:23:54 > 0:23:57quite rightly, no problems with that whatsoever.
0:23:57 > 0:23:58Here's her tenancy agreement here.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02This property, in 2008, was due to be demolished,
0:24:02 > 0:24:05so she was invited to be rehoused.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07She took that opportunity and we gave her
0:24:07 > 0:24:11a nice two-bedroom flat at Southend Close.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14The tenancy agreement was dated on the 30th of March, 2009.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18All seemed above board with Nigel's tenant, Miss Lawson,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21but a national data-matching exercise by the government
0:24:21 > 0:24:24set alarm bells ringing.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27Basically, what that is, is central government collects data
0:24:27 > 0:24:30from local authorities and then matches the output
0:24:30 > 0:24:33and informs boroughs if there's a problem with matches.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36The data-matching exercise basically alerted us to the fact that
0:24:36 > 0:24:40Doris Lawson also had a link to an address in the Lewisham area.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Keen to know if Doris Lawson was linked to more than one home,
0:24:45 > 0:24:47Nigel began running checks on her name
0:24:47 > 0:24:49against her flat in Southend Close.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53She got registered to vote from that address,
0:24:53 > 0:24:56so she's now entitled to vote in any election that comes up,
0:24:56 > 0:24:59and that was put in every year. Bank account's at the address,
0:24:59 > 0:25:01and other usual things that people have,
0:25:01 > 0:25:03so by all intents and purposes, one would think that
0:25:03 > 0:25:07she's actually resident at Southend Close and nowhere else.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12Next, Nigel ran the same checks against the flat flagged up
0:25:12 > 0:25:15by the data match, in St John's Vale in Lewisham.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19It looked as if somehow Doris was in two places at the same time.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25Once again, her name comes up and you can see that she too has
0:25:25 > 0:25:29bank accounts there and the usual credit that people have -
0:25:29 > 0:25:31credit cards and insurances and what have you.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35So, again, you would suspect that she is living at St John's Vale.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41But what Nigel uncovered next would add even more weight to his case.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Miss Lawson didn't just have another property in Lewisham,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47she was actually the outright owner.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51We obtained a land registry,
0:25:51 > 0:25:54which shows her to be the sole owner of this address
0:25:54 > 0:25:56since the 10th of May, 2004.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00Contact was made with the London Borough of Lewisham
0:26:00 > 0:26:04and they confirmed to us that not only do they have a record that
0:26:04 > 0:26:07Miss Lawson owns the property at St John's Vale,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10but that she also purchased this property from them
0:26:10 > 0:26:12under the Right to Buy in 2004.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14And they provided us with a copy
0:26:14 > 0:26:16of her Right to Buy application for this address.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Again, she states on this form that St John's Vale
0:26:22 > 0:26:23is her only place of living,
0:26:23 > 0:26:27her main and principal home, and that she has no other accommodation.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30There's no mention on this form at all of her property
0:26:30 > 0:26:32with the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34And to make matters worse,
0:26:34 > 0:26:38Doris Lawson was saving a fortune in the process.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40The London Borough of Lewisham then provided to us evidence
0:26:40 > 0:26:45that Doris Lawson had purchased St John's Vale in 2004...
0:26:45 > 0:26:47for £102,000.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51The property was valued at 140,000, and under the Right to Buy scheme,
0:26:51 > 0:26:55they gave her a discount of £38,000 off the cost price.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57So, in effect, she bought that property,
0:26:57 > 0:27:01a very nice two-bedroom flat in St John's Vale in Blackheath,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04for £102,000.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06But it didn't end there.
0:27:06 > 0:27:07With Nigel on her case,
0:27:07 > 0:27:11Doris Lawson's name cropped up at a third property.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Further enquiries into Doris Lawson found that she was
0:27:14 > 0:27:16actually working as a contractor,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19and they held her home address as an address in Belvedere.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Enquiries on this address in Belvedere identified
0:27:22 > 0:27:25that it was owned by her husband - it was a lovely three-bedroom house
0:27:25 > 0:27:29owned by her husband for many years. And evidence pointed that she would
0:27:29 > 0:27:33have been living there herself for many years. So in effect, not even
0:27:33 > 0:27:36living at the council tenancy in the Royal Borough of Greenwich,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39nor at the address she owns in the London Borough of Lewisham.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42But it turned out other people clearly were.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46We visited both addresses, at Southend Close and St John's Vale.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50At the Southend Close, we found that there was tenants there who paid
0:27:50 > 0:27:54Doris Lawson a regular monthly rent. We also found there were tenants
0:27:54 > 0:27:57living at the Lewisham address, which was fine,
0:27:57 > 0:28:00because that property in Blackheath was hers, she'd bought it,
0:28:00 > 0:28:02so she was fine to be a landlady.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04She'd never, ever told us that she was in fact
0:28:04 > 0:28:06the tenant at that property.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09And had we known that in April 2009,
0:28:09 > 0:28:11we would not have housed her at the Royal Borough of Greenwich -
0:28:11 > 0:28:14she would have had to gone and live in the Lewisham property.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18Doris Lawson had fraudulently obtained her tenancy in Greenwich
0:28:18 > 0:28:21and her Right to Buy property in neighbouring Lewisham,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24building herself a property portfolio
0:28:24 > 0:28:27and subletting the properties out.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29With this case looking rock-solid,
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Nigel was ready to bring her in for formal questioning.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35I don't think for a minute that when she came into the room
0:28:35 > 0:28:38that she ever suspected this was particularly serious.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42But she gave a "no comment" interview to the whole process,
0:28:42 > 0:28:44the whole interview questions that were put to her.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46So Nigel took matters to the next level.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50Miss Lawson was summoned to the magistrates' court,
0:28:50 > 0:28:53but the court deemed her case to be so serious,
0:28:53 > 0:28:56they immediately escalated it up to Crown Court,
0:28:56 > 0:28:59where Doris felt the full weight of the law.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02She was sentenced to two years and four months in prison.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06But, as Miss Lawson had defrauded the council out of so much money,
0:29:06 > 0:29:08Nigel didn't want to leave it there.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11He wanted to claw back for the public purse
0:29:11 > 0:29:15the proceeds of her crimes, and his determination paid off in what was
0:29:15 > 0:29:19one of the biggest settlements his borough has ever won.
0:29:19 > 0:29:24It was totally clear that she had gained criminally
0:29:24 > 0:29:27from her actions by getting the fraudulent Right to Buy.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31Her property at St John's Vale was now worth considerably more.
0:29:31 > 0:29:36In fact, she had equity of about £165,000 on that property now.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40We then ran with a Proceeds Of Crime action against her and jointly
0:29:40 > 0:29:44between the two boroughs, we got a judgment and a confiscation order -
0:29:44 > 0:29:48albeit she's still in prison - for £163,000,
0:29:48 > 0:29:51which has now been paid in full as she sold the property.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53Miss Lawson didn't expect this would happen.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56She's now in prison - she's serving two years and four months.
0:29:56 > 0:30:01She's £163,000 down from her future nest egg,
0:30:01 > 0:30:03and she's now got a criminal record.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10I think if you're found to be sort of renting out a house that you're
0:30:10 > 0:30:14renting for not very much for huge amounts, there should be...
0:30:14 > 0:30:19There should be serious consequences for that because that's illegal and
0:30:19 > 0:30:21also it's just quite abhorrent behaviour, like, you know,
0:30:21 > 0:30:26you're making a huge profit off other people's desperation to live somewhere.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29Well, it should be a heavy fine.
0:30:29 > 0:30:34And if it's done regularly, probably a term of imprisonment.
0:30:34 > 0:30:39Once someone is found out to be subletting, the tenant who is
0:30:39 > 0:30:43going to suffer should be evicted straight away and the
0:30:43 > 0:30:48person whose name is on the tenancy agreement should also be evicted
0:30:48 > 0:30:52straight away and banned from getting other tenancy agreements
0:30:52 > 0:30:53throughout the United Kingdom.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01Earlier, Luke was finding out about the case of Biani Gonzalez who,
0:31:01 > 0:31:04with the help of an agent, made thousands of pounds
0:31:04 > 0:31:07subletting her two-bedroom flat in South London.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09It was very clearly a business arrangement.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12And he even provided the tenancy agreement and proof of his
0:31:12 > 0:31:16bank statements to show the money that he'd been paying her.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20Bank statements and a pink rent book owned by one of the unsuspecting
0:31:20 > 0:31:24subtenants gave investigator Ben Marshall the crucial evidence
0:31:24 > 0:31:27he needed to get his property back.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31When I showed the judge and the court all of this evidence,
0:31:31 > 0:31:33it was pretty overwhelming.
0:31:34 > 0:31:3714 months later, the keys are back in the council's hands
0:31:37 > 0:31:40and a new family has moved into the property.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44Miss Gonzalez is back in court,
0:31:44 > 0:31:48this time for a criminal hearing at Camberwell Green Magistrates'.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53She's charged with illegal subletting and attempting to
0:31:53 > 0:31:57fraudulently obtain a Right to Buy property and she could face jail.
0:31:57 > 0:32:02Today, Luke joins investigator Ben Marshall to see what happens.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05It's the magistrates' court so I would expect her to give an
0:32:05 > 0:32:08indication today of whether she's going to plead guilty or not.
0:32:08 > 0:32:13- OK.- But really what this comes down to is whether the magistrates feel
0:32:13 > 0:32:16that they've got sufficient powers to deal with the matter or whether
0:32:16 > 0:32:20they think it's so serious that they need to send it to the Crown Court.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22- OK, let's head in and see what happens.- Yep.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28Gonzalez pleaded guilty to illegally subletting her flat and attempting
0:32:28 > 0:32:31to fraudulently obtain a Right to Buy property.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36It didn't take long for the magistrates to come to a decision.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40The case was referred up yet again, this time to Crown Court,
0:32:40 > 0:32:43where a more serious punishment could be imposed.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46I'm really pleased that it's in the court system now
0:32:46 > 0:32:48and that's taken some months to get here.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50So I'm pleased that we're in the court,
0:32:50 > 0:32:52I'm pleased with the outcome, really.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55- We're going to Crown Court... - Mm-hmm.- ..so the judge has
0:32:55 > 0:32:58looked at the matter, he's taken into consideration the possible loss
0:32:58 > 0:33:01- of almost 100,000 in the Right to Buy...- Yeah.
0:33:01 > 0:33:02..the attempted fraud part of it
0:33:02 > 0:33:04as well as the tenancy fraud subletting part of it.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07The reason that the magistrates send it to Crown Court is that the
0:33:07 > 0:33:10Crown Court can impose those harsher sentences.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12For all your work, your case files, your investigations,
0:33:12 > 0:33:15you must be really happy that it's...that it's gone this far.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17Yeah, I am, I'm pleased. We've got the property back,
0:33:17 > 0:33:20another family's in the property, that's great,
0:33:20 > 0:33:22that's water under the bridge so to speak.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25And now we can concentrate on the criminal prosecution
0:33:25 > 0:33:27and really finalise this case, hopefully soon.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31Four weeks later, after a year and a half's investigation,
0:33:31 > 0:33:35Biani Gonzalez was sentenced to a six-month prison sentence,
0:33:35 > 0:33:38suspended for 12 months at the Inner London Crown Court.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47Personally, I live in a social housing at the moment.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51And a few people around I know live in social housing.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54I think it's an absolutely wonderful system.
0:33:54 > 0:33:59It sort of meets the gap from people that aren't able at this present
0:33:59 > 0:34:03moment for whatever reason that cannot buy their own home, you know.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06I think it's a wonderful, wonderful system.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09It's been five years of trying to find somewhere to live that I can
0:34:09 > 0:34:13actually afford. I've lived in private rented places that finish
0:34:13 > 0:34:16and without social housing I'd be... I'm going to spend the
0:34:16 > 0:34:20rest of my life moving every six months. It's a nightmare.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23For me to be able to be in social housing is...
0:34:23 > 0:34:25I feel very grateful for it.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28Cos I wouldn't be able to work in London and...and live the life I'm
0:34:28 > 0:34:30living near my family, so I'm very grateful for it.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38The UK is in the grip of a housing shortage.
0:34:38 > 0:34:39By 2008,
0:34:39 > 0:34:43the number of new homes being built had fallen to its lowest level
0:34:43 > 0:34:47since 1924 and it's failed to recover since.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50To help alleviate the shortage,
0:34:50 > 0:34:54local councils are cracking down hard on tenancy fraud.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58In London, the Borough of Camden undertook a tenancy audit
0:34:58 > 0:35:00of their entire housing stock to try and weed out
0:35:00 > 0:35:02anyone misusing their properties.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08And in Kent, authorities used a £480,000 government grant
0:35:08 > 0:35:11to help get back their exploited properties.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16The funds helped to set up a new data-sharing partnership across
0:35:16 > 0:35:20all of the county's local authorities and the police,
0:35:20 > 0:35:24with forecast savings of £4 million of taxpayers' money.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31In Oxford, a team of housing officers is responsible
0:35:31 > 0:35:34for monitoring the city's 7,500 council properties,
0:35:34 > 0:35:37right down to how often the tenants use their key fobs.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42With so many properties on their books
0:35:42 > 0:35:45and over 3,000 households on their waiting list,
0:35:45 > 0:35:48it's vital Oxford City Council make sure
0:35:48 > 0:35:51their housing stock is being used by the people who need it most.
0:35:53 > 0:35:54The tenancy fraud team here
0:35:54 > 0:35:57has dedicated intelligence-gathering officers,
0:35:57 > 0:36:00whose sole job it is to collect and examine
0:36:00 > 0:36:02any information they receive.
0:36:02 > 0:36:03We're quite unique.
0:36:03 > 0:36:07Not a lot of local authorities have specialist intel teams.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11But it frees up the investigators to do the work
0:36:11 > 0:36:13that they're trained to do.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15And it means that we're very focused
0:36:15 > 0:36:17on intelligence gathering techniques.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20As well as tip-offs from neighbours and other residents,
0:36:20 > 0:36:24the team also use CCTV and electronic entry systems
0:36:24 > 0:36:27to look for unusual usage.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31The fob entry systems keep a record of every entry into a building
0:36:31 > 0:36:34made by the occupants. Working out a weekly average can give
0:36:34 > 0:36:38investigators a sense of whether there are perhaps too many people
0:36:38 > 0:36:41living in a property, or even if it's been abandoned.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45What we're looking for is people that are abusing our housing stock
0:36:45 > 0:36:50and quite often making large amounts of money on the back of that and we
0:36:50 > 0:36:54want to make sure that all of our properties are filled
0:36:54 > 0:36:56by Oxford residents who need that housing,
0:36:56 > 0:37:00who can't afford private rented accommodation.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03And every investigation that we conclude
0:37:03 > 0:37:05and every property that we recover
0:37:05 > 0:37:09means that a local family who need housing can be housed.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13The intel team has drawn up a list of the top 40 properties
0:37:13 > 0:37:15that have markers for unusual use.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17Now housing investigators can make
0:37:17 > 0:37:20personal calls to carry out further checks.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23The list that we provided today to the officers is the top 40
0:37:23 > 0:37:28of ones that we think are either likely to have nobody there
0:37:28 > 0:37:31or likely to have somebody there who shouldn't be.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35It's mid-morning.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38Two teams of investigators are out and about in Oxford,
0:37:38 > 0:37:40checking on the list.
0:37:40 > 0:37:41At their first stop,
0:37:41 > 0:37:45investigation officers Dan Barker and Robert Ducker have received
0:37:45 > 0:37:48information that the tenant may have a partner living in -
0:37:48 > 0:37:51not an issue in itself unless the tenant
0:37:51 > 0:37:53is claiming benefits as a single person.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04- Hi, there.- Hi, there. - From the council.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06- We're looking for- BLEEP. - Is she at home?
0:38:06 > 0:38:08She's not here at the moment?
0:38:08 > 0:38:10Do you know what time she's going to be back?
0:38:10 > 0:38:12About three o'clock.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14- That's great. OK, we'll pop back then. Thank you.- All right.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17This one was some intelligence we'd received from the tenancy
0:38:17 > 0:38:20management officer suggested it was possible living together...
0:38:20 > 0:38:23Undeclared partner living at the property. And that's the description
0:38:23 > 0:38:26of the gentleman who's answered the door matches the partner perfectly.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28So I shall be feeding that back
0:38:28 > 0:38:32and requesting benefits do a review on the account.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35The tenant's not at home and the occupant
0:38:35 > 0:38:37matches the description of the new partner.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41This first flat on Ben Simmons' and Ken Hodge's list is showing
0:38:41 > 0:38:44very low fob usage, which means it could have been abandoned.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50They've had their Christmas decorations on there, I think.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57This one's quite a positive result for us. The fob usage on the
0:38:57 > 0:39:00property indicates that she wasn't living at the address any more.
0:39:00 > 0:39:04There's two fob uses in three months, which to enter the building
0:39:04 > 0:39:07every day would obviously build up higher than that.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09That, including the rent arrears that have built up,
0:39:09 > 0:39:12and then information from neighbours has just suggested that
0:39:12 > 0:39:16she's actually moved her stuff out of the property now.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20Dan and Robert also have a possible abandonment on their list.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27The intel suggested that we wouldn't find anyone at the property,
0:39:27 > 0:39:30and that's she's possibly left the district altogether
0:39:30 > 0:39:32and is living elsewhere in the country.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35Yeah, possible case of abandonment, you know.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39Abandoning a social housing property is a breach of tenancy
0:39:39 > 0:39:42and the official tenant could be prosecuted.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45We take the abandonment of council properties quite seriously
0:39:45 > 0:39:48and we could have another family living in that property who are
0:39:48 > 0:39:51currently in temporary accommodation or living in unfit conditions.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53They could be living here quite happily and have a nice,
0:39:53 > 0:39:55safe place and a new home to live in.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01Next on Ben and Ken's list is a flat which has a lot of fob usage,
0:40:01 > 0:40:04which could indicate extra occupants.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07Richard, how many fobs do you have to get into the address?
0:40:07 > 0:40:09- Just the one.- Just the one fob?
0:40:09 > 0:40:11Well, I've got a spare over at my parents'.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14You've got a spare at your parents'? And are you the only person that lives here?
0:40:14 > 0:40:16- I am, yes.- You are.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19So, the reason we've knocked on your door is because there is
0:40:19 > 0:40:22quite high usage on your fob, if you're saying
0:40:22 > 0:40:24you're the only person that lives here.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26My parents only live over here so I'm in and out, so...
0:40:26 > 0:40:28- Right, OK, fine.- I don't really...
0:40:28 > 0:40:34I don't really see why it would show up as more than normal.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36For the average single person,
0:40:36 > 0:40:39your usage is probably one and a half more...
0:40:39 > 0:40:42One and a half per day more than the average.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44- So, that's why we check it out. - OK.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46So, no problems there.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49Back with Dan and Robert and another possible abandonment.
0:40:55 > 0:40:56- Hi, there.- Hello.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59- We're from the...- But this time, the tenant's in.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02We're just here to do a quick tenancy update with you.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04Have you not put the heating on?
0:41:04 > 0:41:07She's been away from the flat as her partner has been in hospital.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11But Dan and Robert find that the flat is freezing cold.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15- Did you say your heating's not working?- No.- No, none of it?
0:41:15 > 0:41:16But you've reported it, have you?
0:41:16 > 0:41:20- Yes.- OK.- Right, I'll check that when we get back.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23- All right.- Thank you very much for your time.- Thank you.- Cheers.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25- Thanks very much indeed. Bye.- Bye-bye.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28I think there are potentially some welfare issues that we need to look
0:41:28 > 0:41:31into in terms of her heating didn't appear to be working and she says
0:41:31 > 0:41:35she's reported this to the council but when we get back to the office,
0:41:35 > 0:41:38I want to make sure that that has been done, and that it's raised as a
0:41:38 > 0:41:41priority job because, you know, that flat was absolutely freezing and
0:41:41 > 0:41:44there's no way she should be living in those kind of conditions.
0:41:49 > 0:41:50The teams spend the rest of the day
0:41:50 > 0:41:53checking the remaining properties on their top 40 list.
0:41:58 > 0:41:59That's it. Last one.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09Four weeks later, and Dan has been following up on the door knocks.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13First, the tenant with the freezing cold flat
0:42:13 > 0:42:15has had her heating repaired.
0:42:17 > 0:42:22On the tenancy audit, several flats were suspected of being abandoned.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24One of them is indeed empty.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28The team attempted to get in touch with the tenant, but just
0:42:28 > 0:42:31a few days later, the keys to the property showed up in the post.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36It may not seem like much return for a day's pounding the stairways,
0:42:36 > 0:42:39but to one lucky family it means the world.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47With social housing in such short supply,
0:42:47 > 0:42:52the battle to crack down on tenancy cheats is more important than ever.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56And thanks to the hard work of so many housing fraud officers,
0:42:56 > 0:42:59more and more properties are being put back in the hands
0:42:59 > 0:43:00of those who really need them.