The Aporia
The Aporia
Burford, R. (2026, September 18). London borough recovers council homes in fraud probe including one where tenant was living in USA. Evening Standard. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/hammersmith-fulham-council-house-fraud-investigation-b1297482.html
Burford, Rachael. “London borough recovers council homes in fraud probe including one where tenant was living in USA.” Evening Standard, 18 Sept. 2026, https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/hammersmith-fulham-council-house-fraud-investigation-b1297482.html.
Burford, Rachael. “London borough recovers council homes in fraud probe including one where tenant was living in USA.” Evening Standard, September 18, 2026. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/hammersmith-fulham-council-house-fraud-investigation-b1297482.html.
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Hammersmith and Fulham Council in London seized back 18 properties, recovering more than £700,000 worth of housing fraud over a 12-month period. One tenant was found to be living in the USA while renting out their council home for profit; investigators used bank statements and WhatsApp messages to prove the tenant's deception. The property was returned to the waiting list for genuine need cases. In another instance, a fraudulent application to transfer tenancy to a relative was identified and debunked by officers. Frances Umeh, the cabinet member for housing and homelessness, stated that such actions prevent fraudsters from denying families in need access to housing.
