Single mum nearly lost kids after renting out another home while living in council flat

By Jacob Phillips, Local Democracy Reporter

A single mum nearly lost custody of her children after she secretly rented out her council home for two years while living in an inherited flat.

Busola Okubaio rented out the council home while living at another home she inherited from her mum after she died in 2010. She will have to pay £11,000 in fines and legal costs.

The IT assistant had requested a home from Westminster City council in 2019 complaining that her living situation was overcrowded.

At the time she was living with her partner and daughter, the City of London Magistrates Court heard today (Wednesday, February 15).

But when she filled out a tenancy transfer application in 2019 she ticked a box saying she did not own a property.

Between August 3, 2019, and December 6, 2021, Okubaio sub let her home while paying £550 in rent for a council flat in Paddington.

The mum also pleaded guilty to subletting the property between January 3, 2022, and March 2, 2022. Okubaio had previously appeared in court and pleaded guilty to three charges.

The court heard how Westminster City council had uncovered the incident during a larger crackdown on housing fraud.

When the council visited the home in Wallington they believed three people were living there. In total Okubaio had made £6,781.75 in rent.

Okubaio’s lawyer Mrs Somowora explained the IT assistant had rented her property out to a family friend initially for six months. She had then let him continue to rent the home as the Covid pandemic struck.

Mrs Somowora said: “When she moved out and had her baby she moved into a new property. She didn’t know what to do with that property, she had memories of her mother there.”

The court heard that Okubaio now has two children, a three-year-old and an 18-month-old baby, and her crimes meant the courts could have taken the children away from their mother.

Okubaio, who has now separated from her partner, attended court wearing a long camel-coloured coat and burst into tears several times during the short hearing.

Magistrate Sue Dale instead decided to give Okubaio 200 hours of community service rather than a short prison sentence.

She told Okubaio: “You are of previous good character and pleaded guilty to the offense at the first opportunity.”

When Okubaio complained about how much money she would have to pay the Magistrate replied: “The court told her her children would remain in her custody…. You owe the court a lot of money.”

In total Okubaio was asked to pay £11, 543 for the crime.

Pictured top: City of London Magistrates Court (Picture: Google Street View)