Rental fraud shows it’s time for mandatory digital identify checks

BBC Panorama’s investigation ‘There’s a Gangster in My Flat’ exposed something the property sector has quietly known for years. Organised criminal gangs are using false identities to take over rental properties across Britain. They turn them into illegal sublets. Landlords are left with crippling legal bills and properties that have been destroyed.

The investigation showed just how easily false documents bypass current tenant checks. A photocopied passport and a utility bill are still enough to secure a tenancy at most letting agents. That approach might have been adequate a decade ago, but against artificial intelligence (AI)-forged documents it now actively exposes everyone in the chain.

Why lettings is decades behind banking

The contrast with financial services could not be more evident. When you open a bank account or apply for a mortgage, the institution verifies your identity through multiple layers of technology. Document authentication checks that your passport is genuine. Biometric liveness detection ensures the person holding it is actually you. Address verification cross-references what you have provided against trusted databases.