Landlord rents to Airbnb Guest While I am a Tenant

[Tynique0]

Hello Everyone,

I have a question? I am a Tenant at Will renting a room. I have lived here for two years so far. We live in Massachusetts. The landlord had me sign a lease with first and last month deposit. I live in a basement apartment with 3 other empty rooms down here. Is it legal for her to rent to Airbnb Guest While I am living down here? Also is it legal for her to tell the Airbnb Guest who she rent to upstairs that they can wash clothes down on the basement level. There is a kitchen down here, laundry and bathroom. Please can someone tell me if this is legal. Also she brings people down here to show the rooms without notice. She told me she can do what she wants it is her House .

[Sarah977]

@Tynique0  No, she can't do whatever she wants. You need to contact your local authorities that deal with the landlord/tenant act to find out your rights and file a complaint if you have  valid cause.

If she is entering the space she rented to you as private, without notice, that isn't okay, nor is it okay to rent out rooms if that means the Airbnb guests have access to your private quarters.

[Mark116]

@Tynique0   I would say:

1) If there is a lock on the room you are renting that the landlord can rent other parts of the house, but it might be a gray area depending on exactly how the lease is written.

2) Yes, the landlord can let other 'tenants' use the common spaces like laundry unless there is something in your lease that gives you exclusive use, which I doubt.

3) No, the landlord cannot enter the room/apartment you have rented without giving you advance notice unless it is a serious, serious emergency, which airbnb guests seeing the space are not.  But, again, there is a difference between accessing common spaces and the space that you, specifically have rented.

I am not a lawyer, but have been a landlord a few times over the years.

[Tynique0]

Thank you both so much. She doesn't enter my room but she does enter the common spaces. I have a lease though, even as a tenant at will. I do not know these people who she is randomly bringing down here. I have kept this basement so clean you wouldn't even know it was a basement. I kept the grounds and property clean. Pay my rent on time and was never late. This is the thanks I get, she brings random people down here and is now trying to rent out these private rooms to Airbnb guests? I feel kind of violated but I am not sure if that is the word I should use. What if they smoke,drink,party have different people here? She doesn't care about it and that is so upsetting. Not to mention she hasn't had heat for two weeks and was showing the place to a guy today telling him the heat is going to be fixed this week. I got tired of staying quiet and I came out of my room and said she is lying there is no heat and hasn't been any. She was so pissed off we got into a big argument. I also told the guy I am a TENANT and Pay $10@#  a month for a room and has paid so for two years. I am not some random stranger just stopping by.

[Mark116]

@Tynique0   You should probably move out, because it sounds like the landlord's financial situation may have changed and she is trying to really max out $$. 

It is also, now that I think of it, VERY odd that she is showing 'Airbnb' guests rooms, because most of the time Airbnb guests are not local and it is very frowned on by Airbnb for hosts to show guests spaces before they are rented for safety and other reasons.  I wonder if she's realy renting these places on Airbnb or just using 'airbnb' as a euphamism for short term rentals.  You should look up the property on Airbnb and see what the listings look like, if any, and what she says about the spaces, etc.  She should also have on any listing that she has a full time long term tenant.

I saw on your other post that you put in a ring camera and that sounds  like a good idea.

You could also ask her, again, assuming she's even really renting these rooms on airbnb, to only rent to woman, because definitely a bunch of guys on holiday with only a door between you and them seems at best, a bad idea, and at worst, it could be dangerous for you.

good luck keep us posted.

[Tynique0]

You totally nailed it Mark! My niece and I cannot find her listings anywhere on Airbnb? I am thinking she is advertising as a hostel somewhere? Last year she had some whole family come for two months from China. They were sweet but this was during the pandemic. She asked me if they could use the washer and dryer down here and I said No! But then I gave in if it was on a schedule and while I was not at work? Was I not fair? Mark I think she is advertising somewhere under the guise of Airbnb! These are all Men in their mid twenties early thirties and they are coming in cluster's! I would love to find the site and I may just ask one of the men upstairs in passing this week.

[Mark116]

@Tynique0   I'd keep trying to find out where she has listed the rooms.  I believe that the regulations are different for a 'rooming house' than for an Airbnb type short term rental,  a rooming house might be considered commerical instead of residential and not allowed. There might also be laws in Boston that cover short term rentals.  For example, here where we live you can only do it if you are owner occupied.  So, she might be breaking the law.

[Tynique0]

Thank you. This is very helpful! 

I think the solution is the latter that you first mentioned. I need to start looking for a new place ,studio, apartment. She is not going to change and it is only going to worsen. I only shared a small fraction of her shenanigans! I need to move before Summer hits. She has no criteria when it comes to money. I see this now nor does she CARE! She will reap though what she sown.

[Tynique0]

Also I just googled euphemism! Thank you for my new word😄

[Sarah977]

@Tynique0  If all you rented is a room, and there are common spaces not designated as an exclusive part of what you rent, then yes, the landlord has a legal right to do whatever she wants with the common spaces and other rooms.

Being a disrespectful, greedy person isn't illegal. All you can do is find somewhere else to move to.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

thank you @Sarah977 you've been quicker as usual so I don't have to explain it 🙂

[Drax1]

Generally county  where you live dictates how many renters can be in single  family home. The county will force owner to evict anyone over that limit. However land lord will just raise your rent or evict you too so leaving is best policy 

[Drax1]

You should check your local county ordinances in USA. There are limits to how many people a landlord can rent a single family home to. A single family home is not zoned as hotel.  I had this happen to place I lived because landlord was trying to rent each room in single family home like a hotel. The county forced him to evict the other two people in basement and I moved in paying as much as  both. Then within 2 years he tried same trash with me moving two more people in over county limit for single family home. My advice find better landlord.