Billionaire property developer Asif Aziz faces mounting backlash across London over mass eviction attempts, tower block safety rows, and controversial commercial developments.
The 59-year-old founder of Criterion Capital manages a 9 billion pound property portfolio across Britain and Europe, earning the nickname "Mr West End" for acquiring major entertainment landmarks including Piccadilly Circus's Trocadero complex.
Despite presenting himself as a courteous philanthropist who funds the annual Oxford Street Ramadan lights display alongside London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, housing campaigners and local politicians allege that his commercial actions reveal a ruthless operator known to critics as Britain's meanest landlord.
Britannia Point heatwave and eviction scandal
The most recent controversy centers on Britannia Point, an 18-storey tower block in Colliers Wood, south-west London, once dubbed Britain's ugliest building. In May 2026, 60 homeless families living in emergency accommodation had their air conditioning units switched off without warning during a severe heatwave.
With extensive exterior glass creating a greenhouse effect inside the building, living conditions quickly deteriorated. Resident Sabrina Walters, 31, reported that her one-year-old daughter was left soaked in sweat while her 12-year-old daughter suffered between 10 and 20 nosebleeds over three days.
Local Labour MP Dame Siobhain McDonagh raised urgent concerns with property management firm Aura Assets Management after another resident had to rush her four-year-old son to A&E due to fainting and frequent nosebleeds. The building's air conditioning had originally been installed following past incidents where extreme heat caused lifts to shut down automatically as a fire safety precaution.
In a formal letter to Aura Assets Management, Dame Siobhain stated: "I have now been made aware of multiple cases in which families.. have been subjected to dangerously hot conditions in their homes after losing use of air conditioning." Building reception staff informed residents that the cooling had been turned off because it was not offered as an amenity under their accommodation terms.
Three children were hospitalised as a result of the heat. Aura Assets Management defended its position in a statement, claiming: "In light of the prolonged high temperatures, we have encouraged residents to use the systems sensibly and in accordance with their individual needs, while also being mindful of potential electricity costs. This advice was intended solely to help residents make informed decisions about their energy consumption and should not be interpreted as discouraging the use of air conditioning for their comfort and wellbeing."
Sources stated that air conditioning was initially restored only to the flats of the two parents who contacted their MP, while other residents were quoted usage fees ranging from 70 pounds per month to 500 pounds for the summer season. Criterion Capital stated that decisions regarding air conditioning were made by leaseholders Aura Assets Management and People First Housing.
The air conditioning crisis followed years of maintenance complaints at Britannia Point, including broken lifts, lack of hot water, and an incident in 2022 when a window pane fell from the 12th floor to the ground. Subsequent inspections revealed that 69 windows across the tower required replacement.
Local councillor Stuart Neaverson condemned the conditions, stating: "For years, Colliers Wood has been on the frontlines of learning what it's like to be near an Asif Aziz-owned property. Since his company bought Britannia Point, the problems have been non-stop and tragic. From the air conditioning being deliberately turned off for vulnerable families, leading to the hospitalisation of three children, to attempting to carry out the biggest mass eviction in London's history, his company, Criterion Capital, has made life hell for hundreds of families. And that's just the past six months. Sadly, Asif Aziz and Criterion's disgraceful behaviour is not just limited to Colliers Wood, but to buildings across the capital."
The eviction row erupted after Criterion Capital issued Section 21 "no-fault" eviction notices to turf out hundreds of residents ahead of planned statutory protections for renters. Mental health ward worker Becky Vogt, a resident at the tower, said an email announcing the eviction left her feeling anxious and worried.
Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan called the move "completely unacceptable," while Dame Siobhain warned that Criterion Capital was emptying residential properties to secure higher rental income from local councils seeking temporary homeless housing. Following public backlash, Criterion Capital backed down and claimed it never intended to execute mass evictions, though residents reported ongoing neglect. One 42-year-old father of two noted that rent had increased by hundreds of pounds despite broken lifts remaining unfixed.
West End landmarks and community closures
Aziz's property activities have also drawn criticism for transforming historic cultural and community sites across central London. In 2005, he purchased the stucco-fronted Trocadero at Piccadilly Circus for 220 million pounds, when the venue attracted 68 million visitors annually. He converted the building into a 728-room windowless hotel and secured planning permission for a controversial two-storey basement mosque, which has since been revised to a prayer room and community center, after earlier proposals to build a casino on the site.
Nearby, Aziz's company Zedwell LSQ Ltd faced intense opposition over its handling of the Prince Charles Cinema, a celebrated West End venue that Trainspotting director Danny Boyle described as the "ninth wonder of the world." The cinema launched a petition accusing Zedwell and Criterion Capital of using significant financial resources to intimidate the business after proposed lease terms introduced rent hikes, shorter agreements, and a six-month break clause believed to precede hotel redevelopment.
The petition received 100,000 signatures within 24 hours and drew support from Hollywood actors including Paul Mescal, temporarily securing the cinema's operations. Elsewhere in London, Aziz has purchased and closed at least 30 traditional British pubs to redevelop them into luxury apartments, and replaced the historic Central YMCA health club with a hotel.
Gift shop tax rows and early business origins
Aziz has also faced scrutiny over retail tenants occupying his commercial properties. Kensington and Bayswater MP Joe Powell informed Parliament that several central London gift shops were participating in a tax evasion scheme known as "phoenixing," where store owners disappear to avoid taxes before returning under new names.
An investigation by news outlet London Centric discovered that every tacky gift shop examined was leased from companies owned by Aziz. The businesses were nominally registered to students in Bangladesh and India, with registered addresses listing overcrowded flat shares or a car park doubling as a fly-tip.
Born in Malawi in 1967, where his family ran a clothing import business, Aziz moved to London at age seven and attended a private school in Cheshire. He entered real estate at age 16 by telling an auctioneer he was two years older to purchase a 1.9 million pound building in South Kensington for his family's firm, prompting the auctioneer to describe him as a "tiny, fresh-faced guy at the back of the room."
Following early property struggles in Britain, Aziz relocated to Angola during the 1990s, securing profitable distribution agreements with Nestle, Kraft, and Unilever amid the country's civil war. He sold the enterprise a decade later in a multi-million-pound deal, but Lebanese buyers subsequently sued him for inflating company value and using corporate funds for tailored suits and a luxury cruise. Aziz denied the claims, despite an internal email emerging where he asked his chief accountant: "Can we not bull**** the numbers another way?"
In 2024, Aziz made Abu Dhabi his official tax residency, managing his British portfolio from abroad. While his Aziz Foundation donates thousands of pounds to MPs and funds community lights, former colleagues assert he squeezes British tenants for "every last penny." Aziz maintains he is a shining symbol of London's rich diversity who saw opportunities to reimagine unique spaces, dismissing accusations as easy targets driven by Islamophobia.
