Tenancy fraud investigation leads to recovery of council homes in Forest Fields
Published: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Nottingham City Council has successfully recovered a two-bedroom property in the Forest Fields area following a detailed investigation into tenancy fraud.
The case began after a fire at the property raised initial concerns. The registered tenant was not present at the time, and the home appeared to be occupied by other people. Further enquiries revealed a pattern of absence, with the tenant repeatedly claiming to be living or working in another part of the country.
The council soon uncovered substantial evidence that the tenant was living in London. A formal interview was conducted with them, during which they were presented with the full body of evidence.
Faced with the findings, the tenant chose to terminate their tenancy voluntarily. Had this not occurred, legal proceedings would have been pursued, incurring further costs to the council.
The property is now vacant and will shortly be re-let to a family in genuine housing need.
Councillor Jay Hayes, Executive Member for Housing and Planning, said: "Tenancy fraud is a criminal offence, and Nottingham City Council takes it extremely seriously. Every council home in our city is a vital resource for a family that needs it, and fraudulent tenancies prevent people in real need from accessing secure housing.
“Had the keys not been voluntarily returned to us, we would have had no hesitation in pursuing a prosecution in this case.
“We continue to take robust action against tenancy fraud to make sure that council housing in Nottingham is going to local people who need it the most."
