As the cost-of-living crisis continues and the knock-on effects impact the availability of rental property, dishonesty and fraud when making applications is on the increase. A popular comparison website has compiled a list of what it claims to be the most common lies made on tenancy applications.
Comparethemarket says almost a third of applicants have admitted to lying on an application and nearly 40% would consider lying in the future.
Younger applicants are the most likely to be untruthful, with over 40% of under 34 year olds admitting to lying on an application. Least likely to lie are the over 55s, with just one in 10 having done so.
The new research shows that the amount of people who have been dishonest on a rental application differs from city to city.
The survey revealed that the most common area to be dishonest about when filling in a rental form is smoking status. Many landlords are reluctant to rent their property out to smokers due to the significant damage that it causes to wall coverings and furnishings within a property.
Other common lies made on applications relate to pet ownership closely followed by income and employment status.
Comparethemarket indicates that almost one-third of renters are unaware of the implications that lying on a rental application form could have. While these do differ depending on the situation, the likelihood is that if you’re caught lying, your application will be rejected. If your application is discovered fraudulent after you have moved into the property, there may also be grounds for eviction.
Many applicants are also unaware that some acts of lying on a tenancy application – if subsequently successful – could be grounds for prosecution under the crime of ‘obtaining goods and services by deception’.
Here at Lifeboat Lettings we believe the prevalence of dishonesty or even fraud on tenancy applications will continue to increase as it becomes harder and harder for applicants to secure a dwindling supply of available property. Landlords and property owners are therefore advised to do their due diligence and follow a rigorous selection procedure.
We follow a three-stage process to screen out dishonest and downright fraudulent applications, to secure the most suitable tenant for a particular property. Firstly, we conduct a rigorous telephone interview with every potential applicant, during which we explain the application process and – most importantly – the pass/fail criteria for the referencing process. Those who are successful at this stage and wish to view the property, are then met face to face by one of our staff members. Finally, in stage three we use an expert referencing company to check the accuracy of the information supplied by the applicant. The company uses sophisticated fraud detecting algorithms.
If you would like to find out more about how we vet tenants for the properties we manage, then please get in touch
At Lifeboat Lettings we will always help and advise landlords and assist where we can.
If you would like some help with any of the subjects covered above or anything else relating to properties or lettings, please email contact@lifeboatlettings.com.
