East Lothian Council is holding a ‘key amnesty’ throughout January when council tenants breaking the law by subletting their council property have the chance to hand their keys back in order to avoid legal action.
The aim is to reclaim council homes that are being illegally sublet so we can ensure they are given to people on our waiting list who are in desperate need of social housing.
As well as the key amnesty, we are increasing efforts to track down people who are carrying out the illegal practice of subletting their council home and have recently recruited a dedicated Corporate Fraud Officer to investigate.
Councillor Andy Forrest, East Lothian Council Spokesperson for Housing and Property Maintenance, said: “Usually, housing fraud carries serious penalties, including eviction. January’s key amnesty gives people the opportunity to hand back their keys to their Local Housing Office without facing any further action. Housing fraud is a serious issue as it denies people in genuine need of a home. This is part of a national initiative and all councils and agencies have agreed to share data to tackle this problem.”
Any council tenant wanting to hand back the keys to their property with no threat of legal action can simply put the keys in an envelope with the address of the property written on it and drop this into the reception area of their local housing office.
We also need the help of all residents of East Lothian to help us identify incidents of housing fraud. Please contact your local Housing Office or email corproratefraud@eastlothian.gov.uk if you have suspicions about anyone in your neighbourhood. You may have seen a tenant moving out, or noticed a property where the occupants seem to change regularly. Maybe you have seen someone collecting rent from subtenants. If you know of someone who is committing housing fraud, please let us know. All reports will be treated in the strictest confidence and can be made anonymously.