Fraudster who lied to get council home is ordered to pay compensation

At Snaresbrook Crown Court, Mustapha El-Azouzi was handed a 20-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years, for fraudulently claiming he didn’t own any property when applying for a council tenancy, which was granted in 2018. In fact, he owned a property in Ilford.

His fraudulent conduct escalated in 2020 when he again lied about his housing situation in an attempt to transfer to a larger home.

Mr El-Azouzi, who pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud, was ordered to pay £23,000 in compensation to the council. He must also complete 120 hours of unpaid work and attend 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

With demand for council homes vastly outstripping the number available, Mr El-Azouzi’s actions deprived others on the social housing waiting list of a safe, decent and genuinely affordable place to call home.

Cllr John Woolf, Executive Member for Homes and Neighbourhoods, said: “Social housing is a vital lifeline for many families in Islington, and we will not tolerate those who try to cheat the system.

“This case shows that we take tenancy fraud seriously and will take robust action to protect homes for those who genuinely need them.

“I’m proud of the work our teams did to uncover this fraud. Since 2022, our housing fraud team has recovered 200 homes, with every recovered property representing a safe place to live for those on our housing waiting list and in temporary accommodation”

You can anonymously report tenancy fraud on the Islington Council’s website, by calling 0207 527 7432 or emailing housing.fraud@islington.gov.uk.