A couple who illegally sub-let a Solihull council property whilst living 130 miles away in Essex have been sentenced for fraud by false representation.
Lema Azizi and Ahmed Jamshaidi, both of Basildon in Essex, were sentenced at Birmingham Magistrates Court after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing.
The court found Azizi sub-let a council property against her tenancy agreement. She was a registered council tenant at the address since March 2017.
Jamshaidi aided in the offence and received payments of £13,463.78 from two individuals who rented the property, making a profit of £2,959.75.
The case came about after routine checks by the council’s fraud investigators following separate Right to Buy and joint tenancy applications against the property.
Checks found Jamshaidi was linked to multiple addresses including the property which he owned and both had paid council tax on, while Azizi’s own bank statements said she resided at the Basildon address since July 2022.
Between April 2021 and October 2023, whilst Azizi was registered as a tenant at the Solihull address, Jamshaidi’s bank statements showed he received 33 payments from two individuals on the property.
Jamshaidi and Azizi were also found to have made false statements in their joint tenancy application by claiming Jamshaidi had lived at the Solihull address for more than two years.
Both pleaded guilty to the offences at the first opportunity.
Azizi was sentenced to a 12-month community order comprising a £40 fine, up to 15 days of rehabilitation, a £114 victim surcharge, and £400 in costs. Jamshaidi was also sentenced to a 12-month community order comprising 100 hours of unpaid work, up to 15 days of rehabilitation, a £114 victim surcharge, £650 in costs, and he was ordered to pay £2,959.75 back to the council.
A spokesperson for the authority says: “This incident is not a one-off. We have recovered 10 properties from fraudulent activities since April, and our officers will continue to protect the public purse and ensure that these homes go to people who need them.”
This article is taken from Landlord Today