Birmingham launches crackdown on social housing subletting

Birmingham city council has teamed up with Airbnb in a pilot data sharing agreement aimed at catching out people committing tenancy fraud.

Accommodation platform Airbnb said it was working with the Cabinet Office in three local authority areas as well as London as part of moves to stamp out subletting, where residents are found to be renting out council houses for profit.

The agreement allows councils to check social housing records against Airbnb listings, identifying properties being illegally sublet and allowing these properties to be made available to those who need them.

Birmingham says the agreement has led to six cases being identified so far, with fraudsters potentially facing eviction, fines, and up to 2 years imprisonment.

It is estimated that 5,800 social homes are suspected of being illegally sublet on short-term rental platforms in England, while around 33,000 people in Birmingham are on a waiting list for social housing.

Birmingham City Council’s cabinet member for housing, Cllr Baber Baz, said: “Every property that is fraudulently sublet in Birmingham deprives a family in genuine need of a safe place to live.

“We recovered 36 properties over the last year that were fraudulently sublet, and this agreement will allow us to continue to identify potential tenancy fraud and free up homes for families on waiting lists faster.

“Birmingham City Council is proud to be part of this innovative partnership and the wider effort to tackle public sector fraud.”