Skip to main content
Hackney renters handed over £260,000 after taking action against billionaire landlord
Private renters from across England gather in Old Palace Yard, Westminster, for the Renters Day of Action, demanding urgent reform to protect renters as they warn that each day of delay could see another household forced onto the streets, March 21, 2023

TENANTS in east London have secured more than £260,000 in rent repayments after taking their billionaire landlord to court.

Current and former residents of Olympic House and Simpson House in Hackney took firms owned by John Christodoulou to a tribunal for operating unlicensed houses in multiple occupation (HMOs).

The lack of licencing left residents vulnerable to hazardous conditions including fire risks due to inadequate safety measures, said London Renters’ Union (LRU), representing the tenants.

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
More from this author
A demonstrator outside the Royal Courts of Justice, May 13, 2025
Britain / 13 May 2025
13 May 2025

Campaigners say there is clear evidence British weapons are contributing to war crimes as the government goes on trial to defend its continued supply of arms to Israel

Office workers and commuters walking through Canary Wharf in London during the morning rush hour
Workers' Rights / 13 May 2025
13 May 2025
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaking during a press conference on the Immigration White Paper in the Downing Street Briefing Room in London, May 12, 2025
Britain / 12 May 2025
12 May 2025

Unions and campaigners condemn Prime Minister's ‘far-right’ rhetoric and new immigration policies

Similar stories
Members of London Renters Union protest outside Sathy Proper
Britain / 11 September 2024
11 September 2024
Tens of thousands at risk of homelessness due to gap in Renters' Rights Bill, campaigners warns