Property giant AEW sues owners of shuttered cinemas, nightclubs and gyms over unpaid rent during Covid-19

David Lloyd chief executive Glen Earlam said: “We found them an incredibly aggressive landlord, especially in the context of the government’s protections for tenants. Their actions seem to go against the spirit of what the government is trying to achieve.”

Jim Harrison, chief executive of brewer and pub owner Thornbridge also accused them of being “aggressive and unpleasant”.

He said that, in return for offering £50,000 off the rent on one of his pubs, AEW had demanded a 10-year extension of the lease which would add £1 million to its value for AEW.

Property sources said this was fairly standard practice but Harrison said: “They are arrogant. They are trying to profit from Covid rather than try to work with their tenants.”

Another tenant said: “We have many landlords and most have been understanding but AEW have been our most aggressive. It’s ridiculous because they know we’ve had to go for months without opening.”

AEW is suing Deltic over rents due at its ATIK nightclub in Uxbridge and Pryzm in Kingston Upon Thames. It claims to be owed £292,000 for rents that fell due in the early stages of the pandemic and is demanding £51 a day in interest.

In the suit against Cineworld, it is suing for around £200,000 of unpaid rent.

A spokesperson for AEW said: “We are committed to adopting government recommendations and code of practice when managing relationships with all our tenants.

“We also have a duty to our clients who have entrusted their pensions and savings with us.

"During these difficult times we have always sought to balance these interests as best as possible. We have around two thousand tenants and have managed to find agreements with the overriding majority of these.”

Not all tenants have had bad experiences.

One pub operator, a new AEW tenant, said it had been offered rent holidays.

Another said: “They were extremely aggressive to start with. But I just refused to pay them or negotiate until we know what’s happening with the pandemic. I haven’t heard from them for ages.”

One veteran tenant added: “They try to bully you, and it is frightening when you’re small and a big company issues all these threats. You just have to push back.”

David Lloyd’s Earlam concluded: “When all this is over, people will remember who treated you well and who treated you badly when your back was against the wall.”