Why Social Housing Tenancy Verification matters and how Data Matching helps Reclaim Homes

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.

About the author

NAFN

NAFN Data and Intelligence Services is the UK’s leading provider of data and intelligence services for the public sector, supporting local authorities, law enforcement, housing providers and other public bodies in preventing fraud, increasing compliance and reducing risk. Through secure, compliant data sharing, intelligence-led solutions, training and expert guidance, NAFN helps organisations make informed decisions, safeguard public funds and improve outcomes for the UK public sector.