Peter Rachman: The Notorious Slumlord of Notting Hill

Peter Rachman, a name that became synonymous with unscrupulous landlordism in mid-20th century London, built an infamous empire in the post-war years, particularly in the rundown areas of Notting Hill and North Kensington. Though his name is often linked to the term "Rachmanism"—a byword for exploitation of tenants—his story began far from the streets of London.

Early Life and Wartime Experiences

Before he became the notorious slumlord of Notting Hill, Peter Rachman was born in 1919 in Lwów, a city that was then part of Poland but is now in Ukraine. His father was a dentist, and Rachman grew up in a reasonably comfortable middle-class environment. However, his early life would be overshadowed by the devastation of World War II.

In 1939, following the Nazi invasion of Poland, Rachman’s life took a dramatic turn. It is believed that he may have joined the Polish resistance, but he was soon captured by the Germans and interned. After managing to escape across the Soviet border, he was rearrested by the Soviets and sent to a brutal labour camp in Siberia. When Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, Rachman, like many other Polish prisoners, joined the II Polish Corps, fighting alongside the Allies in the Middle East and Italy. After the war, his unit remained in Italy until 1946, when they were transferred to Britain. In 1948, Rachman was demobilised and became a British resident.

This harrowing wartime experience may have hardened Rachman, shaping him into the ruthless figure he later became. Despite enduring much suffering, his post-war activities suggest that he learned to adapt quickly to the opportunities presented by a shattered Europe and a recovering London.

Rise of the Slumlord Empire

After settling in Britain, Peter Rachman initially found work with an estate agent in Shepherd's Bush. From there, he quickly recognised the potential for profit in the post-war housing crisis. London, particularly the West London districts of Notting Hill and North Kensington, was filled with decaying Victorian mansion blocks—many of them damaged by wartime bombing and now home to a mix of poor, working-class tenants and newly arrived immigrants.

By 1957, Rachman had amassed an extensive property portfolio, owning over a hundred run-down mansion blocks across west London. His office was located at 91–93 Westbourne Grove, Bayswater, and the first house he purchased and converted for multiple occupation was nearby in St Stephen's Gardens. He soon expanded his operations to adjacent areas in Notting Hill and North Kensington, purchasing large properties in Powis Square, Powis Gardens, and Colville Terrace.

One of Rachman’s early methods was to buy properties with tenants who had statutory rent controls, which limited the rent landlords could charge. In a bid to remove these protected tenants, Rachman employed a variety of ruthless tactics. He would move the tenants to smaller, more concentrated properties or offer to buy them out. If these tactics failed, he resorted to intimidation.

Intimidation Tactics

Rachman’s operation employed a cadre of thugs who would use any means necessary to force tenants to vacate their rent-controlled properties. His henchmen were known for employing bullying tactics, harassment, and even outright violence. Rachman himself rarely got his hands dirty, relying on these "enforcers" to do his bidding.

Stories circulated of tenants being terrorised by loud noises at all hours of the night, the destruction of their property, and in extreme cases, physical intimidation. They would often find their utilities cut off, their homes flooded, or be locked out of their properties. These methods were aimed at making the lives of the rent-controlled tenants so unbearable that they would eventually vacate, leaving Rachman free to raise rents and subdivide the properties into multiple smaller, more profitable flats. His disregard for the welfare of his tenants—particularly the vulnerable, working-class, and immigrant communities—soon earned him a dark reputation.

Exploitation of Immigrant Tenants

One of Rachman’s key strategies involved filling his properties with recent migrants from the West Indies. In the late 1950s, waves of immigrants arrived in London in search of work, but they were often met with discrimination and barriers to housing. Rachman exploited this situation, as the new migrants were not protected by rent control laws that applied to the existing tenants. This allowed him to charge exorbitant rents for substandard accommodation, which was often overcrowded, in poor condition, and rife with health and safety hazards.

Initially, Rachman attempted to position himself in the media as a benevolent landlord providing much-needed accommodation to immigrants. However, the reality was far more sinister. He took advantage of their vulnerability, charging them excessive rents and cramming many of them into tiny, dilapidated flats. His unscrupulous business practices turned him into one of the most notorious slum landlords in London’s post-war period.

Diversification and Criminal Enterprises

By 1958, Rachman had largely moved away from slumlord-landlordism and shifted his focus to property development. However, his earlier connections and criminal activities ensured that his name remained in the public eye. Among his associates was Michael de Freitas, also known as Michael X or Abdul Malik, who would later gain fame as a black-power leader, and Johnny Edgecombe, a promoter of jazz and blues music.

The police had long been suspicious of Rachman, and by 1959, a special unit was set up to investigate his operations. They discovered a complex network of 33 companies that Rachman had created to manage his property empire, along with evidence of his involvement in prostitution. He was prosecuted twice for brothel-keeping, further tarnishing his already questionable reputation.

It was also during this time that Rachman’s connections with London's criminal underworld became apparent. After Ronnie Kray, one half of the infamous Kray twins, was imprisoned for running a protection racket, Rachman was approached by Reggie Kray with a business proposition. The Krays offered to “protect” Rachman’s properties in exchange for a cut of the rentals. Recognising this as an attempt to seize control of his empire, Rachman made them a counteroffer, offering them control of one of his nightclubs instead. This deal gave the Krays what they wanted—a piece of the central London nightclub scene—while allowing Rachman to maintain his hold over his property empire.

Personal Life and Womanising

Rachman’s personal life was as scandalous as his business dealings. In 1960, he married his long-time girlfriend Audrey O'Donnell, but this did little to curb his compulsive womanising. One of his mistresses was Mandy Rice-Davies, who became infamous due to her involvement in the Profumo affair. Rachman installed her in a flat in Bryanston Mews West, where she had previously lived with another of Rachman’s mistresses, Christine Keeler.

Rachman’s sexual exploits were widely known, and he maintained relationships with numerous women throughout his life, despite being married. His affair with Keeler briefly brought him into the orbit of the Profumo affair, a scandal that would rock the British establishment in 1963, though Rachman had died by then.

Death and Legacy

Peter Rachman died on 29 November 1962 at the age of 43, following a series of heart attacks. He was buried in Bushey Jewish Cemetery, Hertfordshire. However, it was only after his death that the full scale of his activities came to light.

In the wake of the Profumo affair, the public learned of Rachman’s connections to Keeler and Rice-Davies, and this, combined with his well-documented criminal enterprises, cemented his notoriety. The term "Rachmanism" was coined by Ben Parkin, MP for Paddington North, and it became synonymous with the exploitation and abuse of tenants by landlords. The scandal prompted a public outcry and calls for reform, leading to the introduction of the Rent Act 1965, which aimed to protect tenants in privately rented accommodation.

Though Peter Rachman’s life was cut short, his impact on London’s housing landscape and his legacy of exploitation and criminality would resonate for years to come. His methods and behaviour serve as a cautionary tale of unchecked greed and the exploitation of the vulnerable, making him one of the most infamous figures in Britain’s post-war history.

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