Watch Council House Crackdown

2016
1 Season

Council House Crackdown is a British documentary series that aired on BBC America. The show focuses on the housing department and housing officers of various councils in the United Kingdom, as they tackle antisocial behavior and unfair tenancy practices. The series explores issues on housing and welfare, and how the two intersect to form a significant part of the British social fabric.

Each episode follows different housing officers as they go about their daily work of visiting properties, arresting tenants who break the law, and evicting those who have defaulted on their rent. The show takes viewers on a journey of the different social issues that plague council housing, such as drug abuse, illegal subletting, noise pollution, and overcrowding, among others.

Council House Crackdown seeks to expose landlords who take advantage of council tenants, such as tricking people into subletting rooms or taking rent without providing basic services like heating, water, or electricity. The show also highlights the work of housing officers in helping tenants out of difficult situations, such as providing support to victims of domestic violence or helping vulnerable tenants find housing options that meet their needs.

Throughout the series, viewers see how council housing officers work tirelessly to ensure that tenants have safe and comfortable homes, while also working with other agencies to address issues such as homelessness and housing discrimination.

One of the strengths of Council House Crackdown is its ability to highlight the human element of social issues. The series shows the impact that housing problems have on real people, including young families, single parents, the elderly, and vulnerable members of society. Viewers get to see firsthand how housing officers navigate their way through complex social situations to provide essential services, sometimes putting their own safety on the line.

The show's production quality is noteworthy, featuring a mix of interviews, hidden camera footage, and observational sequences that keep viewers engaged. The series handles sensitive issues with sensitivity, such as those relating to addiction, mental illness, and homelessness, never exploiting the people involved for entertainment value.

Overall, Council House Crackdown provides an insightful look into the world of council housing and the efforts of housing officers to provide safe and healthy living environments for tenants. The series offers a balanced perspective on the challenges facing the British housing system, while also highlighting the work of those who strive to maintain a semblance of fairness and justice in the face of complex, multifaceted issues. The series is a must-watch for anyone interested in social justice, housing, and welfare.

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Seasons

5. Episode 5

May 27, 2016

In this episode, housing investigators catch out a married man who pretends to be single so that he can keep his housing association flat for his teenage son.

4. Episode 4

May 26, 2016

In episode four, investigators are joined by the police as they reclaim a flat which they suspect is no longer occupied by the official tenant. They find that the tenant is nowhere to be found and the flat is occupied by a pop singer who hit the charts back in the 1970s. Michelle also reveals how one social housing tenant moved to Greece but, instead of giving the keys back, he passed the property onto his daughter. Meanwhile, investigators in Lambeth, South London, pay a surprise visit to one of their council flats - only to discover that the tenants who are supposed to be living there moved to Portugal nine years ago.

3. Episode 3

May 25, 2016

In this episode, tensions run high as investigators race between two addresses to carry out simultaneous door knocks. They suspect an unlawful sublet and want find out exactly who is living where. With the official tenants and the suspected subtenants all telling different stories, the police are called in. In another case, investigators reveal how one woman applied for a council property using the identity of a baby who was born 50 years ago but who died in infancy. She is also found to have claimed more than ?150,000 in benefits using the same false identity. And Michelle reveals how one Greenwich council tenant was actually living hundreds of miles away in Norway. Investigators trick the tenant into coming back to the UK so they can confront him.

2. Episode 2

May 24, 2016

In this episode, a 60-year-old grandmother appears in court after illegally subletting her council flat for eight years. Meanwhile, bailiffs move in to repossess a housing association property after a mother and her young child mysteriously disappear, and three weeks later the flat is allocated to a man who has been sleeping rough for the past two years. And Michelle reveals how a tenant who was cheating the system gave himself away by giving an interview to his local newspaper.

1. Episode 1

May 23, 2016

Luke Doonan works with local authority housing investigators as they track down social housing tenancy cheats, reclaim homes and then give them to those in need.

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