Revealed: Dozens of illegally sub-let council homes seized by London boroughs in fraud crackdown - video Dailymotion

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Evening Standard

4 months ago

Dozens of council homes that were illegally rented out by social tenants have been seized back by the capital's town halls.Fraud investigations by London boroughs discovered some had illegally sub-let their homes while living abroad in countries such as Ethiopia and France.

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00:00A West London council is cracking down on illegally rented out flats.

00:04Hammersmith and Villam council have seized 26 council homes after fraud investigations

00:09across London discovered social housing tenants illegally subletting their homes while living

00:14elsewhere, with some found living in Essex, France or even as far as Ethiopia.

00:18The council's anti-fraud team uncovered housing scams across the borough worth

00:22almost £500,000. In one case three men were found living in a West Kensington property

00:28issued to only one person. The council repossessed the property after utility bills and bank statements

00:34showed the listed tenant had moved to Ethiopia in 2019. Illegal sublets have been found across a

00:39number of properties across the capital, with London councils finding evidence of a council flat

00:44listed on Airbnb, bank statements showing rent payments to the original occupier and homeowners

00:50still being registered as occupying a social property. Cabinet member for finance Rowan Rhee said

00:56We will not tolerate people exploiting council homes in this way. Our council homes are there to

01:00support residents in genuine need. We will not stop in our fight against housing fraudsters.

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