I live in a flat below an Airbnb that is incredibly poorly managed, by fully absent, greedy hosts.
I bought my flat before the property above was an Airbnb and could have never predicted this. The Airbnb host works for the flat owner, who is also my freeholder.
For almost two years now I have had to deal with:
- Ungodly amounts of litter - host tells guests that they have to empty the rubbish bags from the flat and if the bins are full to put them on the floor. They are using residential bins, which are never taken out for collection, as well as third bin which has collections whenever requested, and still not emptied that often. The pile of bin bags attracts a local fox who rips the bags open and then the litter is free to spread all around the entrance to my flat.
- Parties - everyone knows that Airbnb has a ban on parties...however nothing is done to enforce it.
- Rude, uncaring guests - guests who want to use our patio (private patio)
- Loud noise - listing says 4 max, many many times hosting up to 10 people.
- Parking issues - the parking space the property has fits one car - as it parks across the access to my flat, it needs to maintain a level of access. Many times the property is rented to contractors who bring huge vans and block access to my entrance, having to climb over other vehicles or duck under an aircon unit.
- Extremely late arrivals and extremely early checkouts. The entrance to the Airbnb is via an external metal staircase that leads to the only landing - their kitchen - which is placed right above my bedroom. The Airbnb owner knows this as he was the one who sold the property to me... my flat is a one bed flat so I can't change my bedroom's location. All hours of the night, people going up, down, suitcases - the property is not too far from an Airport and even on some reviews guests comment how nice it was to stay somewhere where they could catch their 5 am flight....
- Drug use - by the way, flat is listed as non-smoking to start with... Many groups of guests - including contractors! - seem to smoke copious amounts of marijuana, stinking the entire area, to the point we can't even sit in the patio - plus some like to through their smoked ends to our patio, or balloons after inhaling the gas - and it wasn't just a party as they left the gas cannisters everywhere.
Things tried:
- Litter reported to environmental health department multiple times, last time a penalty was threatened.
- Every single issue listed above has been reported to Airbnb Neighbourhood support... Often get told recommendations were made to the host, but nothing changes.
- Have installed a security camera that covers my patio (also entrance to my property)
- Reached out to the guests directly - the responses are that we have to accommodate them as they booked the property.
- Inconsiderate parking and drug use also reported to the police.
- Conversations held with the local councillor regarding the issue - councillor sent emails to flat owner and ignored.
- Reaching out to the Airbnb Host directly- I've been recently blocked
- Reaching out to the flat owner - ignored every time.
- Reached out to a solicitor - they ask £350 and hour and I simply can't afford that.
- Reached out to Citizen's advice - they re-direct you to police, council and Airbnb
- Reached out to housing association - only deal with rented properties
- Reached out to the Housing Ombudsman - only deal with rented properties
- Reached out to Law Universities that do pro bono cases - no response
- Reached out to LEASE - they can only advise on what my lease says and not the issue overall.
My last hope is to pursue an ASBO against the property owner/Airbnb - I know it's not something usually done, as it's usually issued against permanent residents to the neighbourhood.....
Host/Owner never EVER come to the property. The last time I saw them, was when they listed the property as an Airbnb for the first time, almost two years ago. Even when I told them their outside cupboard is unlocked, with valuables inside (one morning the door was wide open, our street often has opportunists trying doors), they still haven't locked it.
It's like they have a total aversion to actually doing anything for this property, this neighbourhood and the community.
Is there anything else I can try? Does Airbnb actually ever suspend accounts or listings? Just feels like there is no way to be free of this nightmare. And I have lived with all sorts of neighbours all my life, good, bad, families, shift workers, Airbnb guests are simply the worst because they don't live in the area so they don't care about it, and there are no mechanisms in place to deal with them - by the time police investigates, there has been 2 or 3 guest rotations. And I refuse to be some sort of unpaid receptionist and approach each guest that books the property to remind them that it's a residential area... Or an unpaid cleaner or unpaid security. I never signed up for this.
Let alone the fact that every time there is an issue and I decide to approach the guests there is always a fear on the back of my head.. I don't know who they are, what kind of person they are, but they will always know where I live, and the fear of repercussion is crippling. These are total strangers, who could decide to act out before or after they check out... I have a security camera for my own protection but it won't deter anyone.
So my questions are:
- Is an ASBO a good approach
- If not, what else can I try?
