A Sydney woman who posed as a 'battling single mother' so she could live in a public housing unit for 18 years while her husband collected $1 million a year has arrived at court to appeal her sentence.

Rebecca Khodragha - who was convicted of two counts of fraud last year - shot a dirty look at photographers as she turned up at Parramatta District Court on Thursday morning.

She was last year sentenced to three months jail, to be served as home detention, but is appealing the decision. Ms Khodragha held her head in her hands as she waited for her matter to be heard in front of Judge Martin Sides, QC.

Ms Khodragha married husband Khaled in an Islamic ceremony in 1991 but their wedding was unregistered and the pair have been living in a Punchbowl housing commission unit in the city's south-west since that year, the Seven Network reported this week.

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Rebecca Khodragha (pictured) glowered at the media as she arrived at Parramatta District Court to appeal her detention on Thursday morning

Ms Khodragha (seen above) was convicted of two counts of fraud last year after pretending to be a struggling single mum

Ms Khodragha was married to a successful businessman - and since 1999 had lived in a public housing unit in Punchbowl

Documents revealed Khaled registered his electrical contracting business to the Punchbowl apartment, raking in $1 million each year, according to Seven, which first reported the story.

The couple also had two other properties - a Lakemba unit and a Greenacre house - at the time.

'They're not just cheating the taxpayer, they're cheating people in need,' Housing New South Wales spokesperson Paul Vevers told the broadcaster on Monday.

Mr Vevers said the department will be seeking all the 'many thousands of dollars in rent' she 'should have paid' in her years at the housing commission flat.

The pair have been living in a Punchbowl housing commission in Sydney's south-west since 1999, despite Mr Khodragha earning $1 million a year

After a tip off from the public, Ms Khodragha was prosecuted and found guilty of two counts of fraud.

According to Housing NSW, 60,000 people are on the waiting list for public housing.

'There's no perfect answer here but the Government is determined to try and house as many people waiting for social housing as possible,' a spokesperson said in a media release.