A landlord couple who rented out an overcrowded East London property have been fined £90,000, The Standard reports.
They wouldn’t allow regular inspections, failed to have a gas certificate and did not provide the required documents.
In a tragic twist, a tenant died in a fire at the property in the early hours of March 5th 2023, with the blaze being started by a faulty lithium ion e-bike battery that was charging at the time, according to the London Fire Brigade. Father-of-two Mizanur Rahman, 41, died from the effects of smoke inhalation.
After the fire the landlords told a liaison officer the flat was rented to two people, but the property as a whole was actually occupied by 23 people.
Gemma Gillett, for Tower Hamlets Council, who brought the case, told the court: “It is clear that 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.”
The landlords, Sofina Begum, 52, and Aminur Rahman, 55, pleaded guilty to a total of nine housing offences.
Judge Emma Smith ordered Begum to pay a fine of £10,000 and £2,000 in prosecution costs, while she was also told to pay a confiscation order of £78,049.
Begum had previously leaded 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 – raising the question of why they were allowed to continue renting out the flat.
Lutfur Rahman, The Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets, said: “It is completely unacceptable that 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 that it will set out new measures to help protect renters across the country.”