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Original poster

Neighbour advertising our house as a hotel / airbnb

101 replies

BusyBe3 · 01/10/2019 16:43

Hi everyone,
Just looking for some advice please...

Our neighbour has advertised their flat for rent (airbnb) on several websites, Expedia.com, hotels.com, ebookers, toprooms and others.

They have put our door number instead of theirs, so essentially they are advertising with the wrong address.
This is very disruptive for us, especially in the middle of the night when guests who have made a booking are constantly pressing our door bell and my new born baby is trying to sleep!
I have tried contacting the lady who manages the apartment, however she was very rude and unhelpful, she said they will look into it and respond within 3 -5 days (which has now passed). I have emailed them again Hmm...

I've tried contacting the websites like expedia.com directly to have the address amended, but they wont change this for me because they need the request to come from the owner themselves.

Ive tried seeking citizens advice who have advised to contact 'Information Commissioners office' and the 'Advertising Standards Authority'. ICO said they cannot help unless they are a licensed company. The ASA have not replied Sad

We've stuck a sign on our door to try and stop their guests from pressing our doorbell, but it still continues.

I am really stressed out and would like to know if anyone has any suggestions :-( or advice please.

OP posts:
coconuttelegraph · 01/10/2019 16:46

It might be overkill but if you really dont have any other options maybe a letter from a solicitor, I don't know if it's something they deal with but something official might get a response from the landlord

gostiwooz · 01/10/2019 16:51

Change your flat number? Get hold of some of that 'Police Do Not Cross tape? Disconnect your doorbell?

Cloudyapples · 01/10/2019 16:54

Honestly I’d get a ring doorbell camera so you can see who is at the door - if it’s not someone you expect don’t answer it. Also remove the helpful sign. Once they start losing money on bookings they’ll soon get it updated

TheCanterburyWhales · 01/10/2019 16:56

Why didn't the neighbour correct their mistake when you told them about it?
Did they give a reason?

drowningincustard · 01/10/2019 17:01

contact the owner again "if you do not get rid of my flat number on your websites and instructions in the next 24 hours I will tell anyone else that knocks on my door looking for your flat that I have no idea where they should be going, that many people have done this before and that I now suspect that there is some kind of scam going on"

chemenger · 01/10/2019 17:02

Just answer the door with “sorry can’t help you, you must be the victim of fraud” or disconnect your doorbell.

Drum2018 · 01/10/2019 17:04

Why isn't the neighbour amending the mistake?

mumwon · 01/10/2019 17:04

do you want me to report you to HMRC & the flat freeholder & have you got third party insurance... TAKE MY ADDRESS off or ….

Baboutheocelot · 01/10/2019 17:08

I’d be tempted to get a sharpie and write Airbnb in large letters on their door.

ScreamingValenta · 01/10/2019 17:11

"It's next door, but I think it's being fumigated at the moment."

LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 01/10/2019 17:12

They do it so that the council can’t really tell how long they have rented their property out. I think it’s a certain number of days on the year. That’s what some of the bastards in our block do - day vaguely ‘3rd floor’ or stock a random photo of another flat in their ad.

ChardonnaysDistantCousin · 01/10/2019 17:13

Answer the door a few times, tell the guests you’re not the flat they booked, let them leave bad feedback and she’ll lose her business eventually.

Can’t believe how rude she is!

LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 01/10/2019 17:14

Contact the letting companies and tell them it’s a fraudulent ad.

ChardonnaysDistantCousin · 01/10/2019 17:15

Shop them to the council in that case.

Withington · 01/10/2019 17:17

As other have said, think the only way this will be sorted is them losing business and bad reviews. Don't answer doorbell, don't let people in, if people ask whether it's the right place, say you don't know. Take sign down off door.

AmIAWeed · 01/10/2019 17:17

Apologise to anyone who knocks at the door and tell them its a scam! If you have anything in writing from these websites saying they wont amend it print and stick to the door

FetchezLaVache · 01/10/2019 17:17

Don't tell any callers where they're supposed to be. Every time you do, you're facilitating your neighbour's fraud and general piss-taking. A few furious clients and some shit feedback might do more to encourage them to change the address.

veeboo · 01/10/2019 17:21

Why would you not contact air bnb to report this?

Esspee · 01/10/2019 17:23

Put a big sign on your door saying "this is NOT an Airbnb - You have been scammed."
Disconnect your doorbell at night and during the day just tell anyone calling that they have been scammed.
Shouldn't take long for them to be blacklisted.
Because I would be really pissed off I would also be letting the Inland Revenue about their business.

Original poster
BusyBe3 · 01/10/2019 17:24

Thanks so much everyone for taking the time to post. I appreciaite all the advice. Youre right, I shouldn't be helping her and will definitely take the sign off our door. It just gets so irratating, constantly having to tell her guests they have the wrong door... (especially the drunk ones in the middle of the night) and then sometimes they will argue and say its the right address!! Sad

Thanks again all xx

OP posts:
TheCanterburyWhales · 01/10/2019 17:25

From the OP it doesn't seem that the owner of the flat has been contacted, just the manager.

SalmonScale · 01/10/2019 17:25

Surely they can help you because yours is the address that is being used and you do not have an Airbnb!

OtraCosaMariposa · 01/10/2019 17:26

Can't people read?

The OP's neighbour isn't scamming anyone. Their own apartment is up for rent. This may be entirely legit.

The listings however show the wrong number, so people are ringing OP's doorbell instead of the rental flat.

SoupDragon · 01/10/2019 17:28

Change the helpful sign to "This is not an AirBnB. You have been scammed"

Jaxhog · 01/10/2019 17:28

Don't put a notice up. Just look puzzled when people call and say you have no idea what they're talking about. If they don't like this, say you've complained to Airbnb, but they won't do anything about it. Your neighbour will soon sort it out when they start to lose money.