Former tenant ordered to pay £494k for council flat fraud
Westminster City Council secured a Confiscation Order against Saeed Yasin Hosseini for illegal subletting and fraud.
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Westminster City Council has secured a Confiscation Order of £494,415.52 against former tenant Saeed Yasin Hosseini. The order, made at Southwark Crown Court on 12 August 2026, requires Mr Hosseini to repay the sum within three months. He also received a seven-month, two-week prison sentence, suspended for one year, for contempt of court.
Fraudulent acquisition and subletting
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An investigation by Westminster City Council’s Anti-Fraud service found that Mr Hosseini obtained a council property on Page Street in Pimlico in 2011 by providing false information about his circumstances. He claimed to be a single man living in his parents' temporary accommodation, when he was in fact living with his wife in a property she owned in North London. Between 2013 and 2014, Mr Hosseini illegally sublet the council property for over a year. He later purchased the flat under the Right to Buy scheme, receiving a £100,000 discount by declaring it as his main residence, despite living elsewhere.
This latest action follows a previous prosecution by Westminster council in 2023, where Mr Hosseini was found guilty of three counts of fraud related to the same property. Following that conviction, the council initiated Proceeds of Crime proceedings. In September 2024, Mr Hosseini pleaded guilty to contempt of court after he dispersed funds from seven bank and credit card accounts, breaching a restraint order issued by Southwark Crown Court in 2020.
This is a truly shocking case of someone deliberately and repeatedly cheating the system for their own personal gain. Council accommodation is a vital resource, intended to provide safe and secure homes for people who genuinely need them. Not only did this individual go to great lengths to defraud council resources and taxpayers’ money, but he also ignored previous orders by the court. I commend the work of our Anti-Fraud service for securing this prosecution and hope the harsh penalties will send a clear message that we will not tolerate people abusing the system.
Councillor Caroline Sargent, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Enforcement
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Councillor Caroline Sargent, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Enforcement at Westminster City Council, stated that the case demonstrated a deliberate and repeated abuse of the system for personal gain. She highlighted that council accommodation is a critical resource for those in genuine need and that Mr Hosseini's actions defrauded both council resources and taxpayers. Councillor Sargent commended the Anti-Fraud service and expressed hope that the penalties would deter others from abusing the system.
What happens next
Mr Hosseini has three months from 12 August 2026 to pay the £494,415.52 Confiscation Order. The suspended prison sentence will remain in effect for one year.
Questions this report answers
+How much does Saeed Yasin Hosseini have to pay?
Saeed Yasin Hosseini has been ordered to pay £494,415.52 to Westminster City Council. This sum must be paid within three months of the court order date, which was 12 August 2026.
+Why was Saeed Yasin Hosseini prosecuted?
He was prosecuted for fraudulently obtaining a council property in Pimlico in 2011 by misleading the council about his circumstances. He also illegally sublet the property between 2013 and 2014 and later bought it under the Right to Buy scheme.
+What was the outcome of the court case?
At Southwark Crown Court on 12 August 2026, Mr Hosseini was ordered to pay £494,415.52 under a Confiscation Order. He also received a seven-month, two-week prison sentence, suspended for one year, for contempt of court.
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