Investigations into address fraud in social housing in Flanders rose by nearly three-quarters last year, reaching a record 582 cases in 2025.
That is according to figures from the agency Wonen in Vlaanderen, reported by De Tijd on Friday. The number of investigations stood at 340 in 2024 and 205 in 2023.
Housing companies are allowed to check whether tenants have misrepresented their living or family situation. Social tenants are required to report any change in household composition.
Address fraud occurs when a social housing property is not a tenant’s main residence or when more people are living there than are officially registered. Tenants found to have committed fraud risk losing their home.
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Such findings can also trigger proceedings to recover social benefits that were wrongly granted. Misrepresenting a household situation can allow someone to receive benefits to which they are not entitled, or to claim more than they should.
For example, a single person usually pays less rent than two adults sharing a social housing property. A single person may also qualify for a higher living wage or an additional child benefit payment.
Investigators typically request utility consumption data to assess whether electricity or other usage matches the number of people officially registered at the address. This autumn, the Flemish Parliament is due to vote on a decree that would also allow checks on household waste.
For about five years, authorities have also been actively examining whether social tenants own property abroad.
