A Wandsworth woman who illegally sublet a council flat for three years has been ordered to repay nearly £65,000 after a council investigation uncovered the fraud. Priscilla Antah posed as a landlord on Gumtree and rented out the one-bedroom property to an unsuspecting family for £1,200 a month.
The couple and their young child lived in the flat for three years, believing they were renting from a legitimate private landlord. They were unaware that the property was social housing owned by Wandsworth Council, not Ms Antah's own home.
Investigation and court case
The deception only came to light when Ms Antah stopped paying rent. A Wandsworth Council officer visited the property to serve a formal warning, prompting an investigation into the tenancy.
When confronted with financial records showing significant rental income, Ms Antah claimed she had allowed a relative to stay in the flat while she was away. She also pretended not to know the family living there and even called the police to have them evicted.
The council won the case, and Ms Antah was ordered to pay £64,743.54 and surrender the flat. The property can now be let to someone on the housing waiting list.
Council response
Councillor Peter Graham, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, said: "Having a council home is a privilege. It means having a rent well below what others have to pay."
He added: "People who sublet our council homes aren't just defrauding us; they are defrauding their neighbours and those in genuine housing need. We will prosecute anyone abusing that privilege and breaking the law. If you know about illegal subletting in Wandsworth, get in touch and let us take action."
Similar case in Westminster
August saw a similar case when Westminster City Council secured a Confiscation Order against Saeed Yasin Hosseini, who obtained a flat under false pretences. Hosseini was given a property in Pimlico in 2011 after claiming he was a single man living in his parents' temporary accommodation.
In reality, the rogue tenant was staying with his wife in a property she owned in North London. Hosseini went on to sublet the Zone 1 flat for a year between 2013-14 and later bought it under the Right to Buy scheme.
He told the council this was his main address despite living elsewhere, which meant he was entitled to a discount of £100,000 on the sale. A judge at Southwark Crown Court ordered Hosseini to pay £494,415.52 over three months.
