When investigating fraud, undeclared income, hidden assets, or locating an individual, knowing which rental properties are connected to a landlord can often be the missing piece in the puzzle. However, this data often eludes OSINT practitioners. It can be complex and time-consuming to search for, and with results being few and far between, many investigators choose to overlook this data source. Additionally, many OSINT professionals in the UK may not realise it’s even possible to query these records.

In the UK, councils are required to maintain public registers of rental properties that have been licensed, such as Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and properties in selective licensing areas. When queried correctly, these records can provide valuable information about a property’s rental status, and often even the landlord’s identity and home address.

This article explores how to use public rental data in UK-focused OSINT investigations, what insights it can offer, and how integrating this data with other sources can help uncover fraud and undeclared income.

Understanding UK Rental Registers and Their Value in Investigations

There are 380 councils in the UK, comprising county councils, district councils, metropolitan districts, unitary authorities, London boroughs, Northern Irish local councils, Scottish local authorities, and Welsh local authorities. Each council is required to maintain public registers for any licensed properties. These registers typically include two main types:

HMO Registers

Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) are properties rented out to multiple tenants who share communal areas like kitchens or bathrooms. Because HMOs must meet specific safety and living standards, landlords are required to obtain a licence to rent them out legally. Councils maintain public registers listing licensed HMOs, which often include:

• The rental property address.
• The name and home address of the landlord or property manager.

For example, the HMO register for Ealing can be found here. 

Selective Licensing Registers

In some areas, councils designate zones where additional property licensing is required due to concerns like poor housing conditions or high levels of anti-social behaviour. The registers for these properties, known as selective licences, serve as a way to track and regulate rentals that might otherwise operate below the radar. Some councils have public registers that include:

• The rental property address.
• The landlord’s name and contact details.

For example, the selective licensing register for Salford City Council can be found here. 

Both of these types of registers can be valuable for OSINT investigations, as they provide a starting point for identifying addresses linked to a subject, verifying legitimate landlords, and confirming rental property addresses.

Unfortunately, the process of searching through these registers can be cumbersome. Investigators can usually only search by individual property addresses (and not by the landlord’s name), meaning it’s difficult to find out if someone owns a rental or to establish a complete view of a landlord’s holdings. This makes it challenging to detect undeclared rental income, hidden properties, and other indications of suspicious behaviour.

How to Use Rental Data in OSINT Investigations

Public rental registers can be used in several ways during investigations:

Verifying Rental Properties

Searching these registers allows investigators to confirm whether a property is licensed to be rented and whether the landlord is operating legally. If a property is advertised as an HMO or rental in an area that requires a licence but does not appear in the register, this could indicate unlicensed activity.

Identifying Potential Fraud

Investigators can cross-reference these public registers with other records, such as planning permissions and the electoral register, to detect discrepancies. For example, a landlord may apply for planning permission to convert a single-family home into an HMO but fail to register it, operating illegally.

Tracking Undeclared Income

Rental registers can help uncover undeclared income. If a person claims unemployment benefits or a specific income level but appears as the owner of several licensed rental properties, this inconsistency could suggest unreported rental earnings.

Finding Hidden Assets

In financial investigations, rental registers can reveal properties owned by individuals or companies that were not previously known or disclosed. This is critical in asset tracing for divorce settlements, debt recovery, or fraud investigations.

Uncovering Landlord Networks

Although council registers typically query based on addresses and not an individual's name, being able to see all properties connected to a single landlord is crucial for detecting large-scale rental schemes or fraudulent ownership structures.

Combining Rental Data with Other OSINT Sources

To maximise the value of rental data, it’s essential to combine it with other public records:

Planning Permissions: Cross-referencing rental data with planning permissions helps investigators spot inconsistencies that suggest unlicensed or unregulated rentals. For example, if planning data shows recent property development to convert a home into a multi-tenant residence, but no HMO license exists, this could indicate an unregistered HMO.

Electoral Rolls: Electoral data helps confirm who resides at a particular address. If a landlord claims a property is vacant but electoral records show active residents, it could be a sign that the property is rented without a license. Alternatively, voter data might show a subject living in one location but rental data shows they own another property they may be hiding in.

Business Formation Data: Business records can reveal if a landlord owns rental properties under a corporate entity rather than in their own name. This is common when individuals are trying to obscure the full extent of their property ownership.

By layering these data sources, investigators can build a more complete profile, uncovering undeclared income, hidden assets, or illegal renting.

Overcoming the Limitations of Public Rental Registers

While rental registers are valuable, they come with limitations:

• No Centralised Search by Landlord Name: Public registers typically do not allow searches by a landlord’s name, making it challenging to establish a complete picture of their holdings.
• Disjointed Data: Each council maintains its own register, so investigators may need to manually search multiple databases, a time-consuming process. This means investigators have to know which areas the individual may own property to be able to search the correct county register.

Enhancing OSINT Investigations with Cradle

Using rental data during UK OSINT investigations can reveal valuable insights into a subject’s financial status and uncover potential fraud. By understanding how to navigate and search public registers and combining this data with other sources, investigators can build stronger cases and uncover hidden assets or undeclared income. Given the complexity of finding relevant results, many investigators are looking to streamline this process. 

Cradle now allows investigators to search for rental properties by a landlord’s name across 80 UK council areas, pulling together all properties connected to an individual or company. This reduces the time required to manually search each council’s database and provides a comprehensive view of a landlord’s property portfolio. As we roll out rental data for an additional 300 UK councils, investigators will be able to detect unlicensed properties and identify fraudulent behaviour more effectively nationwide.

When combined with Cradle’s other datasets, such as planning permissions, electoral data, business records, insolvency data, and sports club membership, investigators gain a comprehensive intelligence picture of addresses linked to their subjects. 

Sign up for a trial today at cradle.publicinsights.uk.