Council tenant pleads guilty to subletting a council home
A man has pleaded guilty to tenancy fraud after unlawfully subletting his council flat in Selly Oak by advertising the property for rent via Airbnb.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ obtained a court order to get information from Airbnb and found that Mr Reza Sherafaty, 39, had rented out the property for a total of 158 nights, earning himself £8,127.27 in rental fees.
Searches of the Airbnb website found photographs of the council home, listed as a 'lovely entire private house with private parking'.
At a hearing at Â鶹ÊÓƵ Magistrates Court on 15 August, Mr Sherafaty pleaded guilty to three offences.
It has been agreed that Mr Sherafaty will compensate Â鶹ÊÓƵ for the full value of the fraud and to pay legal costs, which together totals nearly £13,000.
Mr Sherafaty has also signed a notice to quit to terminate his tenancy and return the property prior to the next court hearing in October.
Councillor Jayne Francis, cabinet member for housing and homelessness, said:
"Subletting our homes and depriving a family actually in need is illegal, and we will not tolerate it.
"There is a significant shortage of homes in Â鶹ÊÓƵ, with 25,000 people on the housing register in Â鶹ÊÓƵ waiting for one.
"For many families in the city and across the country, the reality is that many are enduring difficult circumstances and facing years-long waits for a home.
"We will not hesitate to conduct investigations and take action to ensure these homes are given to families in need."
People who suspect someone of unlawfully subletting a council home can report this online via Report a Fraud.