A second successful prosecution has been completed in Cornwall under new Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act legislation.

Carol Ann Broaders (60) formerly of Newham Road, Truro pleaded guilty at Truro Magistrates Court on Wednesday 9 December 2015 to one count of tenancy fraud after moving out of and then illegally subletting a council house.

In a prosecution led by Cornwall Council on behalf of Cornwall Housing Ltd, Mrs Broaders pleaded guilty to the fact that she moved out of the property and sublet it without the landlord’s (Cornwall Housing Limited) consent in breach of an express term of the tenancy, knowing that such conduct was dishonest and a breach of a term of the tenancy.

Miss Snowdon was given a £300 fine and was ordered to pay Cornwall Council’s full investigation and legal costs of £1,200 and a £30 Victim Surcharge.

Cornwall Council’s Corporate Fraud Team and Cornwall Housing Ltd have been working in partnership since August 2014 to tackle tenancy fraud.

Joyce Duffin, Cornwall Council Cabinet Member for Housing and Environment said: “It costs on average £18,000 a year to house a family in temporary accommodation. There is huge pressure on the supply of social housing making it imperative that the housing we do have available goes to people in genuine need of help. It’s totally wrong for people not to be living in housing intended for them and to be potentially illegally profiting from it at the same time.”

Jane Barlow, Managing Director of Cornwall Housing said: “Cornwall Housing has been working in partnership with Cornwall Council’s experienced Corporate Fraud Team and three homes have already been identified that we believe have been illegally sub-let. This prosecution shows that this type of activity will not be tolerated by Cornwall Housing Ltd. We know that the overwhelming majority of residents live in their homes legally and that they share our commitment to tackling tenancy fraud. I would also encourage anyone who suspects someone of committing tenancy fraud to get in touch.”

Cornwall Council’s Chief Audit Executive, Simba Muzarurwi, who leads the Counter Fraud Team said: “Our team of professional investigators has worked well with Cornwall Housing to achieve these great results reflecting the benefits of collaborative working in combating fraud. We are looking forward to building on this strong partnership to explore more opportunities for enhancing the arrangements for identifying and investigating potential cases of tenancy fraud. The Council has a zero tolerance policy on all forms of fraud so the Counter Fraud Team will leave no stone unturned to ensure that those responsible for perpetrating fraud are brought to book. By continuous checking and investigation of anomalies in information supplied by tenants and potential tenants, we can help ensure that housing in Cornwall is allocated to those in most need.”

Anyone who illegally subletting or is not living in their council home should hand back their keys to the Council’s Corporate Fraud Team or local housing officer.

Residents wishing to report somebody who may be illegally subletting or is not living in their home can do so in complete confidence by calling the Council’s dedicated fraud hotline on 0800 7316125 or emailing