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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