Social housing is under enormous strain. Demand continues to rise, supply remains limited, and temporary accommodation now consumes a significant share of many local authority budgets. In this environment, tenancy fraud – subletting, non‑occupation, false applications – directly removes homes from the people who need them most.
Verification helps ensure that every property is used appropriately, that public assets retain their value, and that scarce housing stock is protected for genuine tenants.
How data matching helps reclaim homes
Modern tenancy verification uses data matching to highlight inconsistencies and rank cases by risk, allowing investigators to focus on the most likely instances of fraud. Members already using Social Housing Tenancy Verification (SHTV) are seeing clear results:
- Homes recovered where tenancies were being used fraudulently
- Over £120,000 in protected property value from fewer than 2,000 records for one local authority
- Faster investigations and reduced manual checking
- Increased revenue through removal of ineligible Single Person Discounts
- Clear identification of highest‑risk cases to prioritise workload
This is evidence‑based verification that turns thousands of records into a manageable, high‑impact caseload.
The hidden cost of tenancy fraud
Fraudulent occupation has a ripple effect:
- It blocks access to housing for families in temporary accommodation
- It increases financial pressure on already stretched budgets
- It risks long‑term damage to properties and reduces asset value
Verification is one of the few interventions that directly reduces these costs while improving fairness and transparency.
The value of NAFN membership
Results from a survey show that every £1 spent on NAFN membership returns around £9 in value. SHTV is a strong example of this return in action.
Through NAFN, members benefit from:
- A substantially reduced cost‑per‑unit rate for SHTV – around two‑thirds lower than open‑market pricing at the current promotional rate on offer
- This time‑limited preferential offer goes a long way to maximise savings
- Access to prioritised, risk‑ranked data to make best use of investigative resources
- Collective purchasing power that secures high‑quality tools at sustainable cost
This shared service model ensures members can deploy robust verification at scale, with great return on investment.
A practical, high‑impact solution
With social housing under extreme pressure, tenancy verification is essential. SHTV offers a proven, efficient and cost‑effective way to protect housing stock, reduce fraud and strengthen financial resilience, while returning homes to the people who need them most.
Get in touch if you would like to have further information.
