The secret lives of London's mega mansions

They may look empty when the rich owners are away, but the staff are inside at work and play

- EMMA MAGNUS

Property billionaire Nick Candy made headlines when he complained about the £161,000-a-year service charge at his ultra-luxurious One Hyde Park apartment. "I'm there 20 days a year, and I pay the service charge like the guy who uses the pool every day," he said. "I no longer live in that apartment, I live in Chelsea." Candy listed the property for £175 million in 2021, and it remains on the market with Sotheby's International Realty.

Like Candy's apartment, thousands of luxury homes across the capital lie empty. London has the highest percentage of unoccupied homes anywhere in the country. And behind their closed doors, a team of people work around the clock to keep their homes in pristine condition.

"Staff count down the days until their principals leave," says an employee for one high-net-worth west London family. "They go from being the dogsbody to being the client, with some jumping at the chance to enjoy all the high-end perks like pools, steam rooms and gyms. Chefs end up trying out new five or six-course menu ideas on the staff and we still use drivers to run errands. Pets are often packed off to luxury countryside retreats."

It's not all fun and games, however, as staff are expected to work as if their employers were home. Silver is polished and repolished to dazzling effect, wardrobes are organised and any property damage is sorted while owners are away.

"No one would know our employers aren't home," adds the anonymous staff member, who counts an impressive (NDA-protected) list of London's glitterati as former employers. "There are so many people coming and going."

At this level chefs and nannies, who tend to work one week on, one week off, can earn £70,000-plus a year. "So there's no such thing as working from our own homes. If you're not physically there - unpacking, repacking for the next trip, organising - then you're not staff for much longer."