From 1 February 2024, Bury Council is responsible for managing and maintaining all council homes previously supported by Six Town Housing.
Please use this website and other contact points as usual. Further information is also available on the council’s website.
Find out more here: Six Town Housing Update

When somebody with a council or housing association home rents it out without permission or obtains a home through providing false information, they are guilty of tenancy fraud. They are using up valuable housing spaces and depriving families and vulnerable people on the Home Options register. It's not fair.

What is Tenancy Fraud?

Tenancy fraud may take many forms. The most common are:

  • Unlawful subletting to third parties
  • Key selling to third parties
  • Advertising properties to let e.g. on the internet or shop windows
  • Obtaining properties by deception or by providing false information e.g. names and national insurance numbers
  • Unauthorised assignments of the tenancy to those not entitled or where permission has not been obtained
  • Wrongly claimed succession on the death of a tenant
  • Non-occupation once the tenancy has been signed up
  • Multiple occupation i.e. were tenants falsely occupy two properties
  • Over occupation (non disclosed) were a tenant states only he/she lives there but where others move in sometimes also paying rent to the tenant.

If you suspect someone of tenancy fraud, there are a number of ways you can report it. Click here to contact us.

Fraud is not a victimless crime!

The Bury area has a limited number of properties available to let and lettings are given to those in the most housing need. Tenancy fraud cheats other people of the chance to have a home that they need.

All the money lost to fraud is money that could be put back into our housing stock, or looking at it another way, it means that you are paying a proportion of your rent to fraudsters.

Our commitment to fighting fraud

Six Town Housing and a number of housing associations in the area have joined the National Fraud Initiative. We work together and use various data sources to identify potential tenancy fraud.

We are also developing effective tenancy management policies and procedures including checking identity and taking photographs at sign-ups and carrying out tenancy visits to all our tenants on a regular basis.

Visit the National Fraud Initiative website for information.

We also need your help!

Despite our best efforts, there are occasions when the only way we become aware that a fraud is being committed is because a member of the public tells us about it. You do not have to be a tenant of Six Town Housing to do this.

If you suspect that someone is committing tenancy fraud we would like to know about it. All the information that is given to us is treated in the strictest of confidence and you do not have to give your name or reveal any details about yourself if you do not wish to. All complaints of tenancy fraud will be investigated and if found to be taking place, action will be taken to tackle it.

If you suspect someone of tenancy fraud, there are a number of ways you can report it. See our Eyes Wide Open campaign or Contact Details page for more information.

Supporting victims of unlawful subletting

If you are renting a property from a tenant of a Six Town Housing you may be a victim of fraud. Once an unauthorised subletting has been identified you could face a real risk of being illegally evicted by the tenant (the person you thought was your landlord). Six Town Housing can provide advice and direct you to where you can receive support if you are vulnerable.