Legal News
Government to Combat Council Housing Tenancy Fraud (4 January 2012)
Date: 04/01/2012
The Government is set to criminalise the sub-letting of council houses and is expected to force thousands of tenants with incomes of £100,000 or greater to meet the cost of market rates. According to recent figures, around 160,000 council housing tenants sub-let their homes. Ministers have described the figures as scandalous and have called for tougher rules to tackle such behaviour. There is currently a large waiting list for council housing, with around 1.8 million families requiring council housing.
In England and Wales, around eight million individuals reside in the four million properties owned by either the council or the housing association. The Government plans to provide local authorities with the power to force rich tenants, who receive incomes of over £100,000, to meet the cost of rents nearer to the market rate. In the event that they refuse to do so, the local authorities would be allowed to evict them from their homes. A spokesperson for the Department for Communities and Local Government claimed that ministers were committed to tackling tenancy fraud, which costs the UK billions of pounds each year.
Duncan Lewis’ housing department provides guidance for council housing tenants on all housing issues. The team of housing solicitors are highly experienced at uncovering solutions clients’ housing issues and are committed to addressing all housing cases quickly yet efficiently. The department can guide clients in any matter or issue arising with local housing authorities, housing applications, ownership and repairs. The department regularly represents clients in the courts of law, ensuring that they benefit from the highest quality legal assistance throughout their case.