Social landlords have announced a series of ‘key amnesties’ on sub-letting as it becomes a criminal offence this month.
Enfield Council has said it will guarantee not to prosecute tenants who hand back their keys before 31 October – after which the London borough will, along with arm’s-length management organisation Enfield Homes, double its housing investigation unit in a crackdown on illegal sub-letting.
Similarly, the G15 group of London’s largest housing associations is offering tenants a two-month window in which they can return their keys.
This follows the example set by Camden Council in July.
Under the new law sub-letting will become a criminal rather than a civil offence, with a potential two-year jail term. Courts will also have the power to make an order forcing tenants to repay any profits made by sub-letting.
Tenancy fraud costs the public £1.8 billion per year.