fraud News
07/04/2026
A locksmith firm says it is seeing a rise in “bait-and-switch” tactics in which landlords are lured in by unrealistically low prices, only to face hefty charges once the job is underway.
One common example involves emergency locksmi…
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12/03/2026
Generative AI is now being used to fabricate property damage in photographs, creating new risks for landlords who rely on images from tenants or agents to assess their properties remotely.
Research from a data analytics firm warns t…
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20/01/2026
Allegations are growing that substantial rental fraud in both council and private sectors may be linked to organised criminal gangs.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service told the BBC that “hundreds” of Barking and Dagenham co…
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10/12/2025
A couple from Essex have been convicted of fraud after illegally sub-letting a Solihull council home more than 130 miles from where they lived.
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Lema Azizi and Ahmed Jamshaidi, both of Basildon, admitted the of…
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18/11/2025
Michael Situ has stepped down as chair of the housing committee in Southwark Council after it emerged that his own rental properties were not properly licensed.
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Situ, who held responsibility for housing policy…
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05/03/2025
Recent research indicates that young tenants face a growing threat of rental fraud.
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According to newly released Government data, individuals aged between 18 and 39 make up nearly 75% of all reported rental fra…
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19/09/2024
A London agent claims the company and many agents across the capital are constantly having to cope with an epidemic of digitally altered supporting documents, forged IDs and undeclared financial issues.
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03/07/2024
The police are warning landlords and tenants that they must be on the alert following a recent increase of reports of rental scams.
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In June Wiltshire Police has been contacted and opened up eight cases inv…
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08/05/2024
The latest updated version of research initially released a year ago in May 2023 is once again criticising MPs who are landlords on the side.
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The online platform 38 Degrees which hosts petitions is now claimi…
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30/04/2024
A study of more than 600,000 tenancy applications found there has been a massive increase of 140 per cent of fake applications in 2023.
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A PropTech supplier’s research found that payslip fraud was the most …
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12/01/2024
An insurance firm has countered Citizens Advice claim that landlords evict tenants using Section 21 rather than carry out repairs in their properties.
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The charity’s Kirsty Rowlinson told Southampton’…
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08/01/2024
At a recent public meeting a spokesperson for the Citizens Advice charity stated that PRS landlords serve Section 21 notices to get away with carrying out repairs of their properties.
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Kirsty Rowli…
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13/11/2023
A landlord and director of a property management company were found guilty of housing tenants in an HMO which put their lives in considerable risk, following a council investigation.
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Kensington and Chelse…
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08/08/2023
The director and lettings agency firm were ordered to pay the huge fine because of ignoring orders to carry out vital repairs and putting their student tenants’ lives at risk in their Cardiff HMO properties.
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06/06/2023
A charity is reportedly accusing that are ever increasing numbers of landlords ‘employing’ security guards dressed up as bailiffs to evict tenants, according to a piece written in The Guardian.
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The charity ra…
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09/12/2022
Generation Rent has revived the threat of ‘Rent-for-Sex as it is now claiming that 200,000 female renters could be offered ‘friendly’ rental rates for sexual favours.
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The campaigning group along with Mumsnet …
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25/11/2022
Agents and landlords have been warned by a lettings platform that there may be as many as one in twenty private rental homes let out to criminals.
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A spokesperson for the platform, says: “For landlords, letting a…
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14/09/2022
At long last the government has responded to its consultation on reforming the Rogue Landlord Database and now states that its property portal will be made available to all tenants, landlords and local councils to access any of its information.
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01/08/2022
Just like buses there is now another MP committee investigation into the PRS which starts immediately as a ‘call for evidence’ into the private rental sector.
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The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities select co…
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27/06/2022
HM Revenue & Customs has publicly named and shamed landlords claiming they collectively owe millions of pounds in unpaid tax.
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The named landlords are included in a far longer list of people who are alleg…
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Older News
Fit for Habitation|March 2019 The ACT is intended to define minimum standards a rental property MUST
be and makes a clearer pathway way for Tenants to be compensated|https://www.pims.co.uk/fit_for_habitation_act_march_2019/
Guarantor|The person who provides a guarantee and promises to make payment good should the person responsible for the agreement fail|http://www.pims.co.uk/guarantors/
MEES|The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) Landlords are charged with the requirement to bring their rental property to a minimum EPC rating of E. Property with F and G rating will effectively be banned from the rental market April 2018 |http://www.pims.co.uk/epc/
Section 11|Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 places an obligation on the landlord to maintain the structure and exterior of the property, including installations for the supply of water, gas and electricity, heating systems, drainage and sanitary appliances|http://www.pims.co.uk/landlord-section-11-repairs/
serving date|This date is the date deemed received at the property - as an example if posted allow for posting days|/serving-notice-on-a-tenant-delivery-days/
Tenancy Application|The objective of vetting is to empower yourself so you can make an informed decision as to the calibre of the prospective person. Making your decision on facts and figures is invaluable and this is why you should always take references. The application form also provides you with permission to perform credits. This form details all the information you should ever require deal with most eventualities including absconding tenants|http://www.pims.co.uk/doc/57/
Tenant Fees|From June 2019 where renting properties in England gone are the days of charging for admin, letting fees, vetting, references,
inventory, check in, check out, cleaning, pet insurance or ANY other fee
that is not explicitly permitted within the legislation. |https://www.pims.co.uk/ban_letting_fees_act_2019/