Tenants win £260,000 of rent back in legal fight with London ‘rogue landlord’

Residents took firms owned by billionaire to tribunal for operating unlicensed houses in multiple occupation

Tenants of two buildings in east London have been awarded a six-figure sum in rent repayments by a tribunal after challenging a billionaire described by a judge as a “rogue landlord”.

The group of current and former residents of Olympic House and Simpson House in Hackney took companies owned by John Christodoulou to tribunal for operating unlicensed houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), which meant the buildings were not subject to the safety and quality standards required by law.