Unauthorised tenancies are on the increase. That `lovely` professional couple that ticked all the boxes, passed the credit checks etc have now long gone and you have unauthorised occupiers in your property. Has this happened to you? The audit commission estimates there are hundreds of thousands of fraudulent tenancies in the UK.
It is the same story in the towns as well as the major cities with tenants illegally sub-letting their properties for short or longer periods through house sharing websites.
How can the landlord and agent remain vigilant and prevent this happening to them?
Top Tips
1. This is where a sixth sense is needed with vetting tenants, the sub-letters will often even have fake documents allowing them to secure multiple properties which they then control
2. The obliging tenant offering to pay rent in advance and able to move quickly is a warning to the switched on agent, as is the young couple wanting to rent a 5 bed house because they need lots of `space`.
3. Because your letting agent is dealing with possibly hundreds of tenants each month they should have the experience and instinct to tell when something is not quite right.
4. If there is any doubt, or if you are just not sure its best to say no and avoid the risk - wait for another tenant