Five individuals have been hit with a range of sentences in one of the longest and most complex Trading Standards prosecutions in the UK.
The five individuals were sentenced over a period of two days on Monday and Tuesday (24 and 25 March 2025) at Southwark Crown Court following their convictions of a total of 15 offences in November 2024, prosecuted by Tower Hamlets Council.
The sentencing follows an extensive investigation into rogue letting agents by Tower Hamlets Council’s trading standards officers. The officers resolutely pursued the letting agents, who operated under various company names, staging operations to seize equipment as proof of their illegal and unjust practices and pursuing complaints made by residents.
The letting agents particularly targeted young people and newcomers to the UK, including workers and students, who had recently arrived in London and were unaccustomed to the UK lettings market.
The letting agents relied on a variety of unfair and illegal letting practices, including: failing to securely protect or refusing to return tenants’ deposits, placing misleading advertisements on platforms such as Spareroom, and issuing licenses to occupy instead of assured shorthold tenancy agreements in an effort to deny tenants their legal rights, such as protection from eviction without a court order.
They also regularly engaged in “bait and switch” advertising of rooms, where they would advertise nice rooms that were unavailable, only to offer much worse accommodation after the tenant had agreed and paid a deposit, and in some cases, had recently arrived with a suitcase in hand to move into the original agreed property.
Summary of the convictions and the sentences:
- Mohammed Moynul Haque has been sentenced to three years and five months of immediate custody, plus a 10-year director disqualification. He was found guilty of four counts of fraudulent trading and two breaches of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. Haque, who had been charged on all eight counts on the indictment, operated several of the companies that were the vehicles for the fraudulent activity. Evidence showed substantial sums of money moving between his personal accounts, the companies, and other companies which he ran or had an interest in.
- Haque’s then wife, Fatima Begum, has been sentenced to a four-month prison sentence (suspended for six months), three-month curfew, and two-year disqualification. She was found guilty of one offence of fraudulent trading.
- Gonzalo Gomez Egea, has been sentenced to two years’ custody (suspended for two years), 180 hours of unpaid work, and four-year disqualification. Gonzalo was a manager of two of the businesses and was found guilty of two counts of fraudulent trading.
- Razaur Rahman Oli has been sentenced to a nine-month prison sentence (suspended for 12 months), three-month curfew, and four-year disqualification. He was convicted of fraudulent trading under his company Barrons London Ltd, and an offence under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 respectively.
- Nozir Ahmed has been handed a four-month prison sentence (suspended for 12 months), 150 hours of unpaid work, and two-year disqualification. Operating under his company, Roomshare Ltd, he was convicted of two offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.
Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, said:
“Today’s sentencing serves as a strong warning to rogue letting agents and landlords that the council will not stand by as they flout laws designed to protect renters and put our residents at risk. Letting agents and landlords are accountable for ensuring that the properties they rent are accurately represented and comply with all relevant regulations. We are putting those who fail to do so on notice: if you exploit our residents or jeopardise their safety, the council will do whatever it takes to bring your case to justice.
“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the complainants who shared their experiences in court, shedding light on how these unlawful and misleading practices have affected their lives.
“Thank you to the Trading Standards council officers who secured these convictions, in collaboration with National Trading Standards officers and the legal team. This case underscores the critical need for rigorous enforcement of regulations and demonstrates our unwavering commitment to clamping down on rogue landlords and letting agents who act with disregard for the law in pursuit of profit.”
Background of the case
For years, the rogue letting agents operated a brutal cycle: they would shut down one company after receiving numerous complaints, then quickly establish a new company under a different name to continue their illegal activities. Throughout this, the same individuals remained involved, mostly operating from the same address at 220 Bow Common Lane.
In 2017, the council began receiving complaints about unfair letting practices involving Citiside Properties Ltd., a letting agency. In response to the mounting complaints, Mr. Haque of Citiside launched a new company called Flintons.
By February 2018, Flatsharing Ltd., trading as Flintons, became a central part of a major prosecution case. The actions of its staff led to a significant number of complaints from consumers to Action Fraud and the Citizens Advice Consumer Service. There were also frequent complaints to platform operators, such as Spareroom, and to the Property Ombudsman. The business gained national media attention, prompting Tower Hamlets Council to raid its offices and seize computers in August 2019.
Although Flintons ceased trading around February 2020, an analysis of the seized materials uncovered further connections to other companies, including Barrons London Limited and Roomshare Ltd. (trading as Mayfields).
The trial began on April 8, 2024, supported by the National Trading Standards Tri Region Investigations Team. Those involved were convicted in November 2024.
Around 40 complainants testified, either in writing, orally, or via video link from abroad, attesting to how these companies had negatively affected their well-being and finances. SpareRoom (www.spareroom.co.uk) also provided extensive evidence concerning complaints made by users of their platform about practices like misleading advertising, failure to return holding deposits, and their efforts to address and combat these issues. Alongside the testimony from complainants and officers, this evidence played a crucial role in securing a conviction.
Nicolae Cristinel-Stan in November 2024, said:
“I am the victim of an eviction that was both unlawful and deeply distressing—emotionally and financially. Coming home to find our room emptied without warning was devastating; we felt violated and suddenly homeless. I was pushed around and verbally harassed by agency individuals, treated with disrespect and cruelty, which severely affected my mental health.
I suffered significant financial losses and had to rely on friends for emergency accommodation, disrupting my work and daily life. This ordeal left me disillusioned with a system that should protect tenants. The loss of possessions, emotional trauma, and ongoing financial burden are consequences I will carry with me for a long time.”
Gibril Saine, speaking in November 2024, said:
“For starters, their actions had left me homeless, cheated, out of pocket, on to the cold streets. I was left to use an overdraft account facility for Bed & Breakfast which eventually ran out.
I lost out on the college course I'd signed up to since I had no fixed abode to live. A lost year that was having to start from square one. You can't put a cash value to such a loss.”
Lord Michael Bichard, Chair, National Trading Standards, said:
“International workers and students who were new to the UK and unfamiliar with the rental market were deliberately exploited, leaving many out of pocket and trapped in a vicious cycle of contracts.
“I’d like to thank and congratulate the Trading Standards officers whose work brought this gang to justice.
“If you suspect you or someone you know has been targeted by a rental scam like this, please report it to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service by calling 0808 223 1133. For advice about how to protect yourself from rental scams, please visit the Action Fraud website.”
Matt Hutchinson, Communications Director, SpareRoom, said:
“While we are proud to have supported the authorities in securing a prosecution, there are no winners today. The victims, who simply wanted to find a safe place to live, have suffered significant financial and emotional harm and now have to live with the consequences.
“The whole rental sector has to deal with the fallout of such predatory behaviour, which instils fear and mistrust in tenants, and harms legitimate landlords and agents who operate lawfully and ethically.
“Today’s sentencing sends a strong message to rogue operators intent on committing these crimes, that they will be caught and punished.”
Report rogue traders and letting agents to Trading Standards here: www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/tradingstandards
Posted on Tuesday 25th March 2025