Published: Tuesday 16 May 2023
A former tenant has pleaded guilty to tenancy fraud having been caught illegally subletting her temporary accommodation through Airbnb.
Our Housing Investigation Team recovered the property and took legal action against the tenant leading to a 12-month community order and 80 hours of unpaid community payback work.
Jessie Napier, Housing Investigations Manager, said:
I really hope this case will act as a deterrent to anyone considering renting out an expensive resource for the Council and thus preventing those with a genuine need from securing temporary accommodation.
The resident was accepted as homeless by our Housing Needs department in 2019 when she applied along with her young child.
However, following a complaint, the Housing Investigation Team visited the flat in July 2022, and found two young men living there who had paid nearly 5,000 Euros to rent the property on Airbnb.
During the investigation, the Council obtained evidence that the resident had illegally sub-let the property on several other occasions.
The Housing Investigation Team invited the resident to several interviews, but she did not attend so we decided to progess the matter and made an application to Westminster Magistrates Court.
Given the strength of evidence against her, the tenant pleaded guilty to the charge of fraud and was sentenced to a 12-month community order, with 10 days of rehabilitation activity and 80 hours unpaid work.
She was also ordered to pay some of the Council’s costs and a victim surcharge.
The home has now been returned to the Council and will be made ready to house a family in genuine need of temporary accommodation.
If you know of, or suspect, anyone committing tenancy fraud in Kensington and Chelsea, please tell the Council’s Housing Investigations Team on 020 7605 6401 or email [email protected].