A former Londonderry councillor is urging a stronger crackdown on social housing tenancy fraud, citing cases he has referred to housing bodies in the city.

Emmet Doyle, a former Aontú councillor, said he has reported multiple properties where tenants do not live there full time. He described the current response from the Housing Executive and housing associations as falling short of expectations.

The Department for Communities has opened a 14-week consultation on proposals to strengthen how tenancy fraud and misuse are identified and investigated across Northern Ireland. The consultation is set to close on October 6, 2026.

Under the proposals, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive would be able to investigate tenancy fraud on behalf of registered housing associations. The department also wants to allow information sharing between the Housing Executive and housing associations, and potentially with other organisations, to support investigations. Both the Northern Ireland Audit Office and the Public Accounts Committee have previously recommended a single tenancy fraud team for the social housing sector.

Doyle said one case showed the limits of current checks. For Housing Executive tenants, a standard letter asks the tenant to phone the office to confirm they still live at the property. In one instance, letters continued to go to the address and were collected weekly by the tenant's parents, causing the process to stop.

He welcomed proposed powers that would require utility companies to share information on electricity or gas usage to help identify whether a property is occupied. He said practices such as claiming a social home while not living there, or subletting it, must stop, especially during a housing crisis.

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said in July that tenancy fraud can deny a lifeline to those who need housing most.

Department for Communities figures estimate that £9.9 million is lost to tenancy fraud and misuse each year, with the true figure possibly higher. Between April 2020 and March 2025, 1,437 social homes across Northern Ireland were recovered following investigations. In 2024-25, 284 social houses were recovered.

The department's consultation document is called Every House Matters: a new approach to tackling social housing tenancy fraud and misuse. It includes proposals for new primary legislation to strengthen prevention, detection and investigation.