Fraudulent tenant sub-let his Walworth council home for more than a decade

Southwark council has won a claim for nearly £40,000 from a tenant who illegally sub-let a property in Walworth for more than 10 years.

The local authority has secured what is known as an Unlawful Profit Order against the tenant. It is also in the process of reclaiming the three-bedroom council home in question.

The judgment, handed down by Clerkenwell and Shoreditch County Court, also awarded the council £14,999 in legal costs.

The case centred on Aboubakarr Nimaga, 60, who had been renting out the property since moving to Nottingham in 2014.

Despite having a private three-bedroom rental in Nottingham since 2017, Mr Nimaga sought to keep his Southwark tenancy, claiming he “visited regularly” and had children living at both addresses.

But Southwark’s housing investigations team uncovered the fraud following a tip-off in 2019.

After a prolonged investigation, Mr Nimaga failed to attend court on November 25 and was ordered to give up possession of the property by December 9.

The council intends to enforce possession of the property at the earliest opportunity, so that it can be allocated to a family in urgent need of social housing.

Councillor Sarah King, cabinet member for council homes, said: “Tenancy fraud is a serious offence. It deprives families in need of a secure home and places unnecessary strain on our housing services.

“This case demonstrates our zero-tolerance approach and the effectiveness of our housing investigations team. We urge anyone who suspects tenancy fraud to report it – every home recovered makes a difference.”

Southwark council estimates that unlawful subletting costs the public at least £42,000 per property in lost resources and housing pressures.

Over the past decade, the council’s rigorous anti-fraud measures have recovered more than 1,700 properties, ensuring homes go to those who need them most.

Residents can report suspected housing fraud by emailing housing.fraud@southwark.gov.uk or visiting the council’s website.

Picture: Pixabay/mastersenaiper