Mayor of London urged to add landlord to rogue database

Campaigners are calling on the Mayor of London to designate billionaire landlord John Christodoulou as a rogue landlord and add him to a public database. Christodoulou, a property developer based in Monaco, was ordered by a tribunal last year to pay £263,555.69 to 47 tenants in Hackney. However, the tenants have not yet received the compensation, nearly 18 months after the order was issued.

Tribunal ruling and delayed payment

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The compensation order followed a challenge by Somerford Grove Renters, a group representing 170 flats across Olympic House, Simpson House, and St John’s Court. The group had raised concerns about the landlord operating unlicensed houses in multiple occupation, which meant the buildings did not meet required safety and quality standards. At the time of the ruling, tribunal judge Robert Latham stated that the respondent could 'only be characterised as a rogue landlord'.

Tenants first initiated action against Christodoulou in 2020 after their request for rent relief during the pandemic was reportedly rejected. Residents claimed at the time that the landlord suggested they use money 'saved on lunches' to pay their rent in full. The six-figure sum was awarded through a rent repayment order, a mechanism that compels landlords who have broken housing standards laws to repay rent.

Calls for mayoral intervention

Jordan Osserman from Somerford Grove Renters highlighted the ongoing delay, stating that while the rent repayment orders were won in 2025, the payment has still not been received. Osserman commented that while ordinary individuals must pay fines, a billionaire landlord appears to have 'all kinds of ways to avoid accountability'. The group is asking the Mayor of London to intervene and use the rogue landlord database to hold Christodoulou to account.

Green Party assembly member Benali Hamdache has also written to the Mayor of Hackney, Zoe Garbett, urging action to ensure Christodoulou faces a banning order against his companies if the debt remains unpaid. Hamdache expressed concerns that the developer might be 'phoenixing' his holdings, a practice where companies found guilty of mismanagement are dissolved and operations continued under a new name. He described Christodoulou as one of the largest private landlords in the UK and stressed the need for authorities to have 'no tolerance for rule breaking'.

Systemic issues and council response

According to City Hall, the Mayor's rogue landlord and agent checker relies on councils uploading records of their enforcement actions. Hackney Council stated that the specific breach in this case does not meet the legal threshold for issuing a banning order against the company. Dylan Law, deputy mayor and cabinet member for safer homes and housing services at Hackney Council, described the landlord's alleged evasion of debts as 'unacceptable' and highlighted 'severe flaws in the existing system' that allow landlords to avoid legal responsibilities.

Law added that there is an increased need for central government to strengthen renters’ rights and help councils prevent the worst landlords from operating. He assured that the new administration would use all available powers to hold rogue landlords to account. A spokesperson for the Mayor of London confirmed commitment to renters' rights and stated that the Mayor's office works with London boroughs to ensure renters' rights are upheld, but emphasised the reliance on councils to provide enforcement records.

John Christodoulou did not respond to a request for comment.