RHP tackles fraud in ground-breaking partnership

Published by Eddie for Richmond Housing Partnership Limited in Housing

RHP has evicted a tenant who was sub-letting one of its properties. This success is a result of a groundbreaking three-way collaboration with the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and fraud investigators HJK Associates.

An RHP employee passed on their concerns to HJK after neighbours said they had not seen the RHP tenant who lived in the property for over a year.  

HJK established that the flat had been advertised by the tenant as available to let privately, and was being sub-let to a third party. Once sufficient evidence was gathered, the tenant was served with a notice seeking possession and RHP recovered the property within four weeks.

RHP’s Anti-Social Behaviour Advisor, Andrew Nowakowski, says: “Our initial investigations indicate that there is little evidence of a sub-letting fraud hotspot in the Borough, but our partnership with Richmond Council and HJK Associates has equipped our employees with up-to-date techniques to tackle housing fraud. We want to make sure the people who live in our homes are those who need them most.”

Cllr Nicola Urquhart, Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Health and Housing in Richmond says: “In Richmond we are already short of social housing and with over 5000 people on our housing register, it is important that we crack down on people who are cheating the system, to make way for those who genuinely need housing.”

HJK Associates were chosen by RHP after receiving excellent feedback for their professionalism from a London based Local Authority. Richmond Council leads on housing fraud investigations in the borough and has provided funding for RHP to outsource investigations within their stock. RHP has also setting up a dedicated hotline for customers or local residents if they suspect housing fraud.

For more information visit www.rhp.org.uk