Neighbour advertising our house as a hotel / airbnb

[BusyBe3]

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 ...

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

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.

Put up a sign 'this is not an Airbnb, it is a private residence. Please do not ring this doorbell for any Airbnb enquiries. New born baby sleeping.!'

Who is the freeholder of the block - or do you all have a share of it? If there is a freeholder/managing agent/residents committee report it to them and they should deal with it. (Most leases/contracts will not allow AirBnB lettings.)

I would also no longer redirect people to your neighbour's door, and if the above doesn't work, get a solicitor's Cease and Desist letter sent.

A bit of 'ah you must mean the specialist fetish brothel next door' would be what I'd do

as others said, stop explaining and helping.

• Disconnect the doorbell in the evening. Who else would need to ring it in the middle of the night?
• put a sign up that this is a scam, there is no AirBnB here.

A few bad reviews and the owner will change the details quite swiftly.

Can someone pls explain the tax thing? Are people thinking hmrc will contact th e op

If you disconnect the doorbell they will surely just hammer on the door.

I'd honestly be inclined to see a solicitor. Would not be helping this twat neighbour by redirecting her guests, at the most a note 'This is NOT an AirB&B!' on the door, disconnect the bell and if they knock tell them through the door it's not an AirB&B, you don't know where the fuck it is, not your problem, they need to go away.

@StealthPolarBear re the 30 day rule. I'm guilty here of thinking London equals UK. In fact it's just a London rule introduced by the Mayor I think. So if you're not in London you're fine.

any reason you haven't contacted AirBnb?

and for those asking about the three month rule; AirBnb was a good idea but it is DESTROYING many city centres. You don't really want drunks/late night arrivals/rowdies/ever changing people in the flat next door, but this is what you get with AirBnB. And of course no regulation, no safety precautions - There's a reason it is being banned in many places.

let's not get into the council flats put on it...

Thank you! Nowhere near london

She has contacted Airbnb

And we tend to get families

I still don't understand th e tax stuff. Hmrc aren't stupid.

Air BnB was what made us sell our lovely inner city property (touristy area). People parking all over the place, in anyone's space or blocking us in, blocking the bins so that they weren't emptied, partying hard all night, knocking on the door when they couldn't work out which property they should be in... Ruining city centres.

What would happen if you contacted Air B&B with evidence of your ownership / tenancy and said that someone else has fraudulently listed the property on the site? Surely they’d have to take the listing down? I understand them not amending a listing on someone else’s say so, but right now they’re facilitating fraud, and they surely can’t keep listing a property when the owner informs them it’s not their listing?

Personally I wouldn’t be turning off the doorbell or tellinb people it’s a scam - this puts you at risk, especially if they’re drunk, you’ve no idea how they’ll react. You’ll end up with police being called and god knows what else.

If they’re ringing on the doorbell then there must be a person next door - have you gone and spoken to them?

I still don't understand th e tax stuff. Hmrc aren't stupid. You're right. It doesn't make sense. After all the money is still going into their account. Maybe it really is just a mistake and they can't be arsed to sort it out.

Complain to air bnb?

She has. But I agree if you approach it from "this is my home and some one has listed it with out my knowledge" they will have to take it down surely

Write a precaution letter for private nuisance. And tweet Airbnb/other travel companies.

Stop being helpful. Ignore the door. Start making her lose business and get bad ratings.

Complain to air bnb?

Can people not read? She's tried that!

I think with Air Bnb & the rent a room
in your house scheme you can earn up to 7.5k tax free.

Greater London properties can only be rented out for a max of 90 days unless you change the use with the LA. I think for the rest of the UK anything over 140 days makes you subject to business rates.

I'd report them to the HMRC fraud people. I bet they are doing it on purpose to evade tax, and are probably having the rent paid into a separate bank account to their normal one.

Really?! Sure we're lower than that but will check!

Rather than asking AirBnB, Expeida, etc to amend the booking just contact them to say your property has been fraudulently advertised on their site and you will take legal action if they do not remove the listing of your property immediately.