Husband and wife landlords Sofina Begum and Aminur Rahman have been fined after a fatal fire at a home in east London, licensed for three people was found to have been occupied by 23
A landlord team have been fined more than £90,000 after the death of a tenant in an e-bike fire at his “grossly overcrowded” east London flat.
Mizanur Rahman, 41, died from smoke inhalation at the home in Shadwell in March 2023. Snaresbrook Crown Court heard how the home was licensed for three people from two households – but it is believed to have been occupied by 23 people at the time.
Husband and wife landlords Sofina Begum, 52, and Aminur Rahman, 55, previously pleaded guilty to a total of nine housing offences after the tragedy. Gemma Gillett, for Tower Hamlets Council, who brought the case, previously told the court: “It is clear the property was, and had been considerably for some time, grossly overcrowded.
“The information available suggests that some 23 people were in occupation of the flat. One of the occupants was taken to hospital and subsequently died.”
Tenants were told not to use the flat as a postal address as it could get the couple in trouble, the court heard. Former residents of the flat have said they paid about £90 a week, where some shared beds or slept on the floor of the two-bedroom ex-council flat. There were 18 beds, including bunk beds, at the property.
The blaze was started accidentally by a faulty lithium ion e-bike battery that was charging at the time, the London Fire Brigade said. Investigations were still ongoing and a civil matter has already been lodged.
Begum, whose name was on the licence, previously pleaded guilty to six offences including knowingly permitting unlicensed occupation, four counts of failing to comply with licence conditions and failing to comply with the requirements of a licence notice. Rahman, who collected the rent and was the person responsible for the property, pleaded guilty to one count of each of these three offences.
They failed to allow regular inspections, did not have a current gas certificate and did not produce the documents required of them as the controller or manager of the property. After the fire, Rahman told a liaison officer the rented the flat to two people and he did not know who the others were.
Sentencing, Judge Smith said: “I am satisfied the two of you were equally involved in the criminality and shared financial gain…You showed a blatant disregard for the law and the occupants.”
The judge noted a month after the fire, Begum made an application for an extension of the lost space which did not mention the fire or that the property was uninhabitable, and said she was living at the flat and it was overcrowded. The judge also noted the event took place after the charges she was dealing with.
The Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, said: “It is completely unacceptable some landlords continue to exploit tenants by allowing overcrowding, flouting essential safety regulations, and putting people’s lives at risk. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the family and friends of Mizanur Rahman, who tragically lost his life in the fire, caused by a faulty e-bike battery, at Maddocks House, and with all those affected by this devastating incident.
“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.
“We will continue to do everything we can to ensure such cases are brought to justice in order to protect our community and we urge all local authorities to do the same. National action is urgently needed and we welcome the Government’s announcement it will set out new measures to help protect renters across the country.”
