A rogue landlord duo has been fined more than £90,000 for safety offences that led to the death of one of their tenants in a fire.

Sofina Begum, 52, and Aminur Rahman, 55, rented out their fourth-floor, two-bedroom flat in Maddocks House, Tower Hamlets, to as many as 23 people.

The HMO was only licensed for three people from two households.

The flat residents shared a single toilet and reported that the property was ridden with bedbugs, mould and dirt. One said it was “like a prison”.

The two landlords were sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court following their convictions in November 2023 before Thames Magistrates’ Court.

Nine charges

The landlords pleaded guilty to nine charges, including allowing the premises to become overcrowded, failing to comply with licensing conditions, not conducting required inspections, lacking a valid gas safety certificate, and failing to provide the council with requested documentation.

Tenant Mizanur Rahman, 41, died in a fire at the flat in Shadwell in March 2023, caused by a faulty lithium-ion e-bike battery that was charging at the time.

Sofina Begum was ordered to pay a fine of £10,000 and £2,000 in prosecution costs as well as the victim surcharge of £2,000. She was also told to pay a confiscation order of £78,049.

Aminur Rahman was ordered to pay a fine of £2,000 and the victim surcharge of £800 as well as a confiscation order of £1.01.

Executive mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, said it’s completely unacceptable that some landlords continue to exploit tenants by allowing overcrowding, flouting essential safety regulations, and putting people’s lives at risk.

He added: “We are clamping down on rogue landlords who operate in our borough. We pursued this prosecution and the court’s decision sends a clear message: we will not tolerate criminal landlords who endanger lives for profit.”

‍