LONDON: One of the former senior most Scotland Yard officers has started a criminal investigation into a multi-billionaire Mayfair landlord over the complaints made by the residents of a posh Mayfair block of apartments on the main Park Lane – in the neighborhood of Shahrukh Khan and the Sharif family.
The former Scotland Yard commander Tariq Ghaffur CBE has confirmed he is conducting a private criminal investigation into Asif Aziz whose company is the landlord of Fountain House – a multi-millions Pound set of around 80 apartments establishment near the Dorchester Hotel.
The family of former premier Nawaz Sharif lives a stone throw away from the Fountain House and Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan owns a penthouse in the nearby block. Several rich Indian and Pakistani own assets in the same area, a playground for the filthy rich.
Asif Aziz – who calls himself Mr Mayfair and Mr West End – is a multi-billionaire landlord who runs an organization called Aziz Foundation and owns hundreds of high net worth properties in London. His company that manages Fountain House is called Parkgate Aspen.
Tarique Ghaffur said: “We are conducting a criminal investigation into Fountain House over several matters concerning Asif Aziz and his management company and cohorts. The investigation has risen due to several complaints from leaseholders and information I have subsequently received and reviewed. In our opinion due to the serious concerns regarding matters that have occurred, it merits a criminal investigation. We have started to collect evidence to prove criminal offences and thereafter we shall report our findings to the relevant authorities.”
Asif Aziz’s company got into the current dispute with the residents – who are all rich and millionaires – over the way the residents have been made to pay service charges and a whole range of other complaints. Residents have shown concern at the way the company has failed to provide them with reasonable services. Asif Aziz’s company insiders said that the residents have also gone to a local civil court against Aziz’s company.
Aziz has been criticised by the political magazine Private Eye for using companies registered in the Isle of Man to buy properties in London, especially pubs, and then close them down to replace them with more lucrative housing developments. In 2017, Aziz argued at the High Court that his wife of 14 years was not entitled to a share of his fortune, then estimated at £1.1bn, because they had “not legally married”. The couple, who have four children, agreed to a settlement.
In 2020, The Times asked if Aziz was “the meanest landlord in Britain”, due to the way he had treated tenants during the pandemic. In 2022 he was criticized by Novara Media for continuing to buy community spaces like bars and nurseries and redeveloping them into luxury apartments. This prompted a legal threat from Aziz’s lawyers over a year later. Aziz’s lawyers demanded the removal of the article, claiming defamation unless it was taken down.
In late 2024, Aziz’s property company, Criterion Capital, came under discussion in early 2025 after the Prince Charles Cinema stated that their landlord Zedwell LSQ Ltd (owned by Criterion Capital) were demanding both a significant raise in rent and a 6-month break clause in the new lease. A petition entitled “Save The Prince Charles Cinema” was set up by the cinema in response. The petition gathered 115,000 signatures in its first two days.
In 2025, reports emerged highlighting widespread maintenance issues and vermin infestations in properties managed under Asif Aziz’s “Dstrkt” housing brand, despite rapidly rising rents. Aziz also reportedly paid £150,000 to settle allegations that he had illegally operated an unlicensed Forrest Gump-themed shrimp restaurant at Piccadilly Circus.
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