Councils Combat HMO Conversion Scam

A housing benefit scam forcing people to live in poor and dangerous accommodation needs shutting down and more rogue landlords should be jailed, councils urge. The Local Government Association (LGA) is calling on government to close a legal loophole which allows landlords to convert properties into multiple tiny “units” which are marketed as self-contained flats in order to secure the maximum level of housing benefit payments. The loophole abuses legal exemptions and the lack of clarity in environmental health, planning and housing benefit rules to avoid detection and is resulting in widespread abuse of taxpayers’ money, as well as housing tenants in poor and often dangerous accommodation. Read more on 24housing.