Two private landlords have been fined over £90,000 for renting out their two-bedroom flat to as many as 22 people.

Tower Hamlets council in London prosecuted Sofina Begum, 52, and Aminur Rahman, 55, who owned the fourth-floor flat. The property was licenced for three people from two households.

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

The council successfully obtained a confiscation order which is a court order to recover money made from illegal activities.

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 £1.01p.

A victim surcharge is a statutory charge imposed when a court sentences an offender, with the funds being used to support victim services.

The landlords had previously pleaded guilty to a total of nine charges brought under the Housing Act 2004, this included 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 on 5 March 2023, caused by a faulty lithium-ion e-bike battery which was charging at the time.