Weekend Spotlight: £82bn in rental properties across UK are occupied by fraudsters and criminals

Almost 280,000 UK rental properties, with a combined market value of £82bn, are thought to be occupied by fraudsters, City A.M. was told today.

The rental market has long been a leading target for fraudsters, criminals, and money launderers. 

Research estimates that 5 per cent of all rental stock is being let to criminals and the latest look at UK rental market dwelling figures from market analysis firm Ocasa reveals that this equates to an estimated 279,497 properties. 

Based on the current average UK house price, this means that a total of £82bn worth of UK property is occupied by people who, in the best case scenario, aren’t paying rent, and in the worst cases are using the property to facilitate criminal enterprises such as cannabis farms. 

For landlords, letting agents, and management companies, it can be difficult to say with absolute confidence that they are not unwittingly enabling criminals to occupy their rental properties. 

Rent and money wire transfers

One common fraudster scam is to move into a property quickly and live there rent free for as long as possible.

If decisive action isn’t taken at the first possible opportunity, it can become a drawn-out waiting game while the landlord tries to secure an eviction. The average monthly rent is currently £1,177, so the losses to the landlord quickly pile up.

Wire transfers are a common way for criminals to try to defraud landlords and property managers.

A red flag is when a cheque is issued and given to the landlord for more money than has been requested.

The fraudster will then ask for the excess money to be returned to them before the whole cheque bounces, by which time the tenant has made their money and probably disappeared. 

Fake financial records

Fraudster tenants will often provide fake financial information that makes them appear much more wealthy and reliable than they actually are in the hope that landlords and agents feel comfortable enough to slack on any other background checks and, before they know, it’s too late and the tenant is entrenched in the property.

Scammers will often rent homes with the sole intent of illegally subletting them to someone else for profit. In such cases, when landlords come round to chase rent arrears, they find an entirely different person living in the property instead of the one who legally owes them the unpaid rent. 

Identity fraud

Fake IDs are commonly used, as are fake credit reports and references. The tenant then occupies the property, fails to pay rent and is then untraceable when arrears are chased because the information the landlord has is completely fabricated.