Woman told to pay almost £1,500 after illegally renting out council flat
A woman who illegally rented out her council flat has been ordered to pay almost £1,500 by a court.
Jennifer Parker had been the tenant of a one-bedroom flat in Ashenhurst Road, on the Russells Hall estate, in Dudley, since April 2015.
Dudley Magistrates Court heard council bosses received an allegation in June 2019 that the 34-year-old was illegally subletting the property.
Investigations revealed the flat had been rented out illegally from March 2019 to a couple who were unaware it was owned by Dudley Council.
Parker had told the couple she had bought the flat from the council and was renting it legitimately, the court heard.
But the defendant was in full receipt of housing benefit from the local authority during the period of sub-letting from March to October 2019.
'Zero tolerance'
Parker did not attend court for the case on January 6 but submitted guilty pleas to two charges through her solicitor under the Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013.
Magistrates imposed an Unlawful Profit Order, which means Parker must repay the £1,339.18 she received in illegal rent from the couple.
She was also fined £80 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £32.
Parker, now of Hall Close, Blackfordby, Swandlincote, returned the Dudley Council property in December 2019 following the intervention of the housing fraud team, the court was told.
Councillor Laura Taylor, cabinet member for housing and community safety, said: “We welcome the judgement of the court in this case that Parker must pay back the money she made by illegally renting out her flat.
"We take a zero tolerance approach to housing fraud.”
