Wandsworth tenant ordered to pay £65,000 after unauthorised sublet

Priscilla Antah sublet her one-bedroom flat in Wandsworth after advertising on listings site Gumtree. An unsuspecting couple with a young child moved into the flat and paid £1,200 per month in rent, believing that Ms Antah owned the property.   

The fraud came to light after Ms Antah stopped paying rent and a council officer visited the property to serve a formal warning. The family who were subletting then revealed that the person they believed to be their landlord did not live at the property. By this time, the occupants confirmed that they had been residing at the property for three years, paying rent to Ms Antah and were unaware that it was a council property. 

An investigation found that the property was being sublet and that Ms Antah’s financial records showed significant rental income. Ms Antah denied subletting and claimed that she had allowed a relative to stay while she was away. She also claimed not to know the people residing in the property and even called the Police to have them illegally evicted. 

The Council won the case and Ms Antah was ordered to pay £64,743.54 and surrender the property back to the Council. The Council can now let the property to someone on the Council’s housing waiting list.    

Councillor Peter Graham, Wandsworth Council’s 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. 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." 

The South West London Fraud Partnership (SWLFP) Counter Fraud officers work across the London boroughs of Kingston, Richmond, Wandsworth, Merton and Sutton investigating cases of subletting and abandonment, and encourage you to report any incidents where you suspect fraud is being committed via swlfp@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk.