Landlord jailed after applying for council house

A landlord has been sent to prison for eight months for failing to declare she owned a property, let out to a private tenant, when she applied for a council house.

Rita Lambani, 35, of Laindon, Essex, was convicted of fraud at Basildon Magistrates Court after being offered a home by housing association Family Mosaic.

An investigation found that she had not declared the property, registered in her name, on which she paid the mortgage and which she rented out.

She was found guilty of two charges under the Fraud Act and a further charge under the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act.

Phil Turner, deputy leader and cabinet member for housing at Basildon Council, said: “This custodial sentence is a first for Basildon Council in our fight against housing fraud, and it will not be the last if unscrupulous people continue to try to pull the wool over our eyes.

“This conviction sends out a clear message to fraudsters that this kind of behaviour won’t be tolerated by Basildon Council.”