Luton man admits illegally subletting Houghton Regis council house in his name

A man from Luton has admitted to illegally subletting his council property in Houghton Regis, with the tenants paying him rent for around a year.

Ben Varle, 47, of Barn Owl Road, Luton, had been given a Central Bedfordshire Council property in Sycamore Road, Houghton Regis. An anonymous tip sparked an investigation into Varle’s living situation and found that he had actually been living in Luton and illegally subletting the property for around 12 months, with rent being paid to him by the tenants.

At Luton Magistrates Court on March 5, Mr Varle pleaded guilty under the Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013. On April 3, he was sentenced to an 18 month community order for unpaid work, and must complete 120 hours unpaid work. He was ordered to pay a contribution towards costs of £744 and a victim surcharge of £114.

Cllr Steven Watkins, executive member for business, housing and public assets from Central Bedfordshire Council, said: “Sub-letting council properties is a betrayal of trust, and every illegal sub-let deprives a family in genuine need of secure housing. We will continue to crack down on illegal sub-letting to ensure that our housing system is fair and that people don’t exploit the system.”