Council successfull in prosecuting re subletting fraud.

June 23, 2016

Westminster City Council have successfully prosecuted Raymond Whittard, a tenant, and Sharon Smith, a subtenant, for conspiracy to defraud through unlawful subletting.

The case is believed to be the first time  a council has successfully prosecuted a council tenant and their subtenant, Whittard and Smith admitted conspiracy to defraud in June 2015 at Southwark Crown Court, Smith received a nine-month suspended sentence plus 140 hours unpaid work, Whittard was given a 10-month suspended sentence and ordered to undertake 150 hours unpaid work.

A confiscation hearing took place in court on 28 April 2016 under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA ) in order to recoup the criminal benefit.  The total ordered to be repaid was £96,083.20 within three months or else serve a two year prison term. Whittard at £39,606.84 (benefit), £2,000 (costs) and for Smith at £49,476.36 (benefit), £5,000 (costs).

Councillor Lindsey Hall, Westminster City Council, reportedly said: “It is illegal for council tenants to sublet their homes. This conviction sends a clear message of zero tolerance to housing and tenancy fraud and to people who think subletting is a quick earner.

“The council works closely with CityWest Homes, who carry out tenancy checks and use data matching, for any potential illegal sublets, as this practice deprives others of a home while the person subletting illegally earns a profit.”

 

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Home and Living

5 trends driving London’s landscaped gardens

London gardens can add more than £205,000 in value as Chelsea tops table for prime buyers seeking outdoor space Ahead of this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, research by Enness Global has revealed that a garden can add more than £205,000 to the value of a London home, whilst Chelsea fittingly boasts the highest degree of…
Read More →
how to present your property for sale
Breaking News

Six in 10 tenants say Renters’ Rights Act improves their housing protections and conditions

Awareness of the Renter’s Rights Act 2025 has increased amongst tenants from 19 per cent in October after the bill passed, to 60 per cent when it came into effect 19 per cent of renters are now more likely to remain in their current property but 45 per cent are concerned about the legislation’s long-term…
Read More →
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

West Oxfordshire tops list of first-time hotspots defying national trend

New analysis by the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove reveals the first-time buyer hotspots where buyer demand is increasing, bucking the national trend over the last month West Oxfordshire leads the way, with demand for typical first-time buyer properties up by 45% year-on-year: A 37% increase in available first-time buyer type homes for sale and…
Read More →
Breaking News

ONS Private Rent and House Prices Index- May 2026

The latest ONS house price figures show that the sales market that is broadly flat. Average UK house prices were unchanged year-on-year at £268,000 in March 2026, with annual house price inflation slowing from 1.7% in February to 0.0% in March. Main points Average UK monthly private rents increased by 3.5%, to £1,381, in the…
Read More →
Overseas Property

Cyprus in demand as international property inquiries spike

Interest in Cyprus has more than tripled since the start of March, while sales to non-EU buyers have spiked by more than a fifth Cyprus is the best option for residency by investment in a major EU Mediterranean country, after Spain closed its Golden Visa in April 2025 and Portugal closed the property route in…
Read More →
Breaking News

Inflation falls to 2.8%

Industry response to the latest inflation figures and their impact on the housing market.   Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark “It is very welcome news to see inflation dip this month; however, today’s figures still sit some distance away from the Bank of England’s target rate of 2%. It remains important to consider continued overall…
Read More →