Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Team from a report by Property Industry Eye. Read the original article for full details.
Letting agent who defrauded landlords and tenants of almost £50,000 avoids immediate prison
A former letting agent who defrauded landlords and tenants of almost £50,000 has avoided an immediate prison sentence despite admitting 19 fraud offences. Victoria Steele, 51, ran Swaffham-based lettings agency E-HOMES Ltd, formerly known as Prestige Property Ltd.
Norwich Crown Court sentenced Steele to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, on 30 September. The judge also ordered her to complete 200 hours of unpaid work. Steele, of Holme Hale, near Swaffham, had previously pleaded guilty to 19 fraud offences following a police investigation.
Her fraudulent activities left 20 victims facing combined losses of £48,858.10. The offences involved failures to protect tenancy deposits and pass rental payments to landlords.
Officers launched the investigation after landlords and tenants raised concerns about how she handled their money. The court heard that Steele failed to protect some tenants' deposits through a government-backed tenancy deposit protection scheme. As a result, landlords faced liability for returning deposits to tenants. Investigators also received complaints that Steele had failed to pass rental payments to landlords.
Her lettings business closed its Swaffham office in 2018. Companies House records show the company dissolved in April 2019.
The case has left victims waiting years for an outcome. One victim, Clive Norman, said: "In the nine years that this case has been ongoing, some victims have died, some have moved and many have given up on seeing justice being handed down."
Efforts to recover the missing money are continuing. Police have launched proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act in an attempt to secure compensation for the victims. The court has scheduled a confiscation hearing for February 2027.
DC Stuart D'Costa, who investigated the case, said: "The victims in this case placed their trust in Steele to manage their properties and finances professionally.
"Instead, she abused that trust, leaving landlords and tenants significantly out of pocket and causing considerable stress and anxiety over a prolonged period.
"I would like to thank all those who came forward and assisted with what was a complex investigation."
Source: Property Industry Eye