The Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, is facing calls to officially designate billionaire property developer John Christodoulou as a rogue landlord, as 47 tenants in Hackney remain unpaid more than 18 months after a tribunal ordered him to pay £263,555.69 in compensation.
Tenants Still Await £260k Compensation
Christodoulou, a Monaco-based developer thought to be worth around £2.7 billion, was ordered to pay the sum last year after a tribunal found he operated unlicensed houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) at Olympic House, Simpson House and St John's Court. The lack of licences meant the buildings were not subject to the safety and quality standards required by law.
At the time, Judge Robert Latham said: “The respondent can only be characterised as a rogue landlord.” However, tenants have still not received the money, prompting concerns that the landlord is delaying or even evading the payout.
Somerford Grove Renters, which represents 170 flats in the three buildings, first launched action against Christodoulou in 2020 after a request for rent relief during the pandemic was rejected. At the time, residents claimed the landlord told them they could use money 'saved on lunches' to pay their rent in full.
Calls for Banning Orders and Rogue List
Green Party Assembly Member Benali Hamdache has written to the Mayor of Hackney, Zoe Garbett, urging her to ensure Christodoulou faces a banning order against his companies if he does not pay the outstanding debt. Hamdache said there are fears the tycoon may be “phoenixing” his holdings, meaning firms found guilty of mismanagement would be dissolved and the actions carried on under a new name.
“John Christodoulou is a billionaire based in Monaco, a tax-haven, and is one of the largest private landlords in the UK,” Hamdache wrote. “Time and again, tenants and leaseholders have had to challenge his business practices. We need local and regional authorities to have no tolerance for rule breaking.”
Jordan Osserman from Somerford Grove Renters said: “We’ve been fighting for justice at Somerford Grove for more than six years. In 2025, we won more than £250,000 for tenants in rent repayment orders against our billionaire landlord John Christodoulou - but we still haven’t been paid. If an ordinary person receives a fine, they have to pay it. But when you’re a billionaire landlord, it seems there are all kinds of ways to avoid accountability. We’re asking the Mayor of London to help us hold our landlord to account. A tribunal judge described him as a ‘rogue landlord’, and London has a rogue landlord database. It’s time to use it.”
Legal Hurdles and Council Response
It is understood that the breach in question does not meet the legal threshold required under housing legislation to issue a banning order against the company, effectively rendering the local authority unable to do so. Dylan Law, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Safer Homes and Housing Services at Hackney Council, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “The landlord in question dodging repaying debts owed to tenants – seemingly by liquidating their business while continuing to let out properties at Somerford Grove and elsewhere – is unacceptable. The fact landlords can evade their legal responsibilities and subsequent debts without being banned from operating shows severe flaws in the existing system. There is now an increased need for central government to strengthen renters' rights and help councils prevent the worst landlords from letting out homes. As a new administration, we will use every power and resource at our disposal to hold rogue landlords to account and protect tenants.”
The Mayor of London provides an online Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker to name and shame private landlords and letting agents who have been fined or prosecuted, but City Hall officials say they can only act when councils inform them of any enforcement actions taken. A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “The Mayor is committed to doing everything in his power to secure a fairer deal for all private renters. Alongside our new three-year funding for tenant rights groups, we use every tool available to expose bad practice. The Mayor’s Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker is reliant on councils uploading records of their enforcement action against landlords and agents. We work closely with London boroughs to ensure renters’ rights are upheld.”
Mr Hamdache told the LDRS: “For too long landlords have had all the power, while tenants have organised themselves and pushed back with very little backing from the law. Now with the Renters' Rights Act, there's a much bigger opportunity for decision makers to take a no tolerance approach towards rogue landlords. I'm positive about working with the Mayors of Hackney and London to see tenants treated right. I'm standing with Somerford Grove residents so that they finally get their justice. The idea that John Christodoulou and his businesses could evade paying tenants their compensation is just outrageous. Decision makers have to take action with the powers they have and call for new powers if those are insufficient.”
Christodoulou did not respond to a request for comment. The outcome of the calls to action remains pending as tenants continue to press for payment and for the mayor to add the landlord to the rogue database.
