West Bromwich tenant pleads guilty to housing fraud
A Sandwell tenant has pleaded guilty at Dudley Magistrates Court
on Wednesday 19 July 2023 to sub-letting her West Bromwich council home. Oluwatoyin Akolisa, aged 39 of Meyrick Road, West Bromwich was accused of sub-letting a council-owned property between 1 February 2022 and 28 February 2023. She was found to be in breach of an express term of the tenancy agreement, sub-letting the whole of the property without the Council’s permission and ceased to occupy the property as her only or principal home.
The offence is contrary to the Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013. Miss Akolisa was ordered by the court to pay a fine of £80, a victim surcharge of £32, costs of £300 and an Unlawful Profit Order of £3,000 - the value she charged for rent above the council rental value. This is the highest Unlawful Profit Order Sandwell Council has been awarded to date.
Councillor Bob Piper, Deputy Leader of Sandwell Council, said: “This is a positive result for our counter-fraud and legal teams who work hard to bring prosecutions to those who defraud Sandwell Council. “There is a national shortage of social housing with many on waiting lists for suitable properties. Those people are the real victims of crimes such as these and the reason we will not tolerate housing fraud in Sandwell. “If we discover any type of fraud, we will do all we can to prosecute offenders and in cases of housing fraud, place the property they have falsely acquired in the hands of those in Sandwell who most need it.” Miss Akolisa voluntarily surrendered her property during Sandwell Council’s investigation and is no longer a council tenant.