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17/12/25 3:30 pm
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A couple who illegally sub-let a Solihull Council property while living 130 miles away in Essex have been sentenced for fraud by false representation.
Birmingham Magistrates Court heard that Lema Azizi, 36, of Woolmer Green, Basildon, sub-let a council property on Winchcombe Road, in Lyndon, against her tenancy agreement. Ahmed Jamshaidi, 34, also of Woolmer Green, aided in the offence and received payments of £13,463 from two tenants who rented the property, making a profit of £2,959.
Their fraud was uncovered during routine checks by the council’s fraud investigators following separate Right to Buy and joint tenancy applications.
They found Jamshaidi was linked to multiple addresses including the Woolmer Green property which he owned, and both had paid council tax on, while Azizi’s own bank statements said she had lived at the Basildon address since July 2022.
Between April 2021 and October 2023, while Azizi was registered as a tenant at the Solihull address, Jamshaidi’s bank statements showed he received 33 payments from two people on the Winchcombe Road property. The pair were also found to have made false statements in their joint tenancy application by claiming Jamshaidi had lived at the Solihull address for more than two years.
Solihull Community Housing has now recovered and re-let the property to someone on the Housing Register.
After pleading guilty at an earlier hearing, Azizi was sentenced to a 12-month community order comprising a £40 fine, up to 15 days of rehabilitation, a £114 victim surcharge, and £400 in costs. Jamshaidi was also sentenced to a 12-month community order comprising 100 hours of unpaid work, up to 15 days of rehabilitation, a £114 victim surcharge, £650 in costs, and was ordered to pay £2,959 back to the council.
Cabinet member for housing, councillor Mark Parker, says this incident is not a one-off. He explains: “We have recovered 10 properties from fraudulent activities since April, and our officers will continue to protect the public purse and ensure that these homes go to people who need them.”
Generic photo of Winchcombe Road: Google Streetview
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