Eyes Wide Open

Eyes Wide Open initiative – lets keep our eyes wide open

Six Town Housing is committed to creating Neighbourhoods to be Proud of and making sure that our neighbourhoods are great places to live.

The presence of litter, abandoned vehicles, graffiti and untidy gardens on council estates means that residents may be unable to take a real pride in where they live.

We've set up a dedicated email address enquiries@sixtownhousing.org to report issues in your neighbourhood for example:

• repairs that need doing
• poor grounds maintenance
• fly tipping
• abandoned vehicles
• broken street lighting
• graffiti
• water leaks
• drug paraphernalia
• derelict houses
• vulnerable children or adults
• acts which are inappropriate towards other residents including ASB  
• unprofessional conduct including abuse of position and any suspected or known fraudulent activity.

We encourage all tenants, residents, local businesses and partner agencies to keep their ‘Eyes Wide Open’ so that we can make sure that our neighbourhoods are ones that everyone can be proud to live and work in.

Blow the whistle on housing cheats

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.

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 in 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 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 you can report this via the Eyes Wide Open address enquiries@sixtownhousing.org.  Alternatively, you can write to us at:

Six Town Housing
6 Knowsley Place
Angouleme Way
Bury
BL9 0EL

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.  All complaints of tenancy fraud will be investigated and if found to be taking place, action will be taken to tackle it.

We have also developed new tenancy management policies and procedures including checking identity and taking photographs at sign-ups and carrying out tenancy visits on a regular basis.

Supporting victims of unlawful subletting

If you are renting a property from a tenant of Six Town Housing you may be a victim of fraud.

When 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 help and support if you are vulnerable.