'Amnesty' over illegal renting of social homes

A COUNCIL has declared a 'key amnesty' for people illegally renting out social housing.

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Tenants fraudulently leasing houses owned by Manchester council or a housing association can surrender their keys without consequence until Friday, February 27.

The call-out is the first step in a campaign to tackle tenancy fraud, which the council says is 'taking homes away from those that need them most'. It comes as the number of residents needing social housing hits more than 21,600, with waiting lists of up to almost six years.