Five rogue letting agents who preyed on newcomers to the UK, taking advantage of their lack of understanding of tenants’ rights to exploit them and rip them off, have received jail sentences and been banned from operating businesses in one of the longest and most complex Trading Standards prosecutions ever in the UK.
The extensive investigation by Tower Hamlets Trading Standards, supported by the National Trading Standards Tri Region Investigations Team, uncovered a variety of unfair and illegal practices by Mohammed Moynul Haque and his associates. These included failures to securely protect or return tenants’ deposits; misleading advertising; and issuing licenses to occupy instead of assured shorthold tenancy agreements in an effort to deny tenants their legal rights.
They also regularly engaged in ‘bait and switch’ advertising practices, advertising rooms that were unavailable, only to offer much worse accommodation after the tenant had agreed and paid a deposit. In some cases, the tenant didn’t discover that the original room was unavailable until they arrived with a suitcase in hand, ready to move in.
Over a period of several years, the rogue letting agents used various trading names in efforts to avoid accountability and evade investigators. In a cycle of dishonest and criminal behaviour, 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 Tower Hamlets.
Justice served
Sentencing took place on 24 and 25 March at Southwark Crown Court following the group’s convictions for a total of 15 offences in November 2024, prosecuted by Tower Hamlets Council.
Mohammed Moynul Haque was 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, was sentenced to a four-month prison sentence (suspended for six months), three-month curfew, and a two-year disqualification. She was found guilty of one offence of fraudulent trading.
Gonzalo Gomez Egea was sentenced to two years’ custody (suspended for two years), 180 hours of unpaid work, and given 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 received a nine-month prison sentence (suspended for 12 months), three-month curfew, and a 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 was given a four-month prison sentence (suspended for 12 months), ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work, and given a 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.”
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.”
Victim impact
In November 2024, one of the group’s victims, Nicolae Cristinel-Stan, commented: “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.”
Another victim, Gibril Saine, 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.”
