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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:
AtillatheHun · 01/10/2019 18:38

My phone number used to be listed on a helicopter flight experience website. For years I gave people the correct number and asked the business to change it.
They didn't, so eventually I took to telling callers that there were safety issues with the helicopter and it was grounded.
They changed it a few months later.

StealthPolarBear · 01/10/2019 18:39

I'm surprised that after a complaint or two by guestds they've not taken the listing down themselves

eeksville · 01/10/2019 18:39

@StealthPolarBear Im not sure if that's renting a room or the entire property.

I know you are also meant to check your mortgage terms if not a buy to let mortgage & flats that are leasehold can need the freeholders permission depending upon the terms.

Only know this because a colleague inherited a property & was debating about air bnb'ing it but decided to sell in the end.

lovemenorca · 01/10/2019 18:41

She’s invading your privacy

Invade hers!

What’s the link and we can all message her!

StealthPolarBear · 01/10/2019 18:42

Thank you. When I think about it we can't possibly be over that. And we don't have a mortgage on it.

MotherofTerriers · 01/10/2019 18:43

I heard about someone whose phone number was erroneously given out by a local hairdresser. She got multiple phone calls from clients, passed on the correct number and repeatedly asked the hairdresser to correct it. They didn't, so she just started making appointments. They changed it quickly after that

eeksville · 01/10/2019 18:44

I pretty sure re the 90 days occupied rule for G London the website itself doesn't let you book more

breakfastpizza · 01/10/2019 18:46

If you PM me the airbnb advert I'd be happy to use the report listing button.

londonrach · 01/10/2019 18:47

Had this. I phone air bnb and told them. They took dim view of her lying and her house was removed completely.

StealthPolarBear · 01/10/2019 18:49

Rach what was the motivation if not ab error?

Chloemol · 01/10/2019 18:49

Go direct to Airbnb, Expedia and the rest and advise them that if they don’t remove the place immediately from their site you will have no choice but to involve the police due to the harassment caused by people knocking on your door, and despite repeated requests to them they still do nothing

You will be requesting the police to take the matter forward, and by the way you will be going to the Daily Mail

SapatSea · 01/10/2019 18:49

The freeholder(if leasehold) is unlikely to have given permission for Air BnB lets. My old house was like this, owners could let but not Air bnb. Contact the managing agents (if you have them). They may send a letter saying she is in breach of her leasehold.If you share freehold, contact the others by email about the issue and then agree what to do about it.

You could put a note on your door saying that your flat is NOT an airbnb, do not knock on door. Leave it to the guests to contact the owner. As others have said you could try the other tack of telling air bnb it is a fradulent listing (rather than a mistake). Contact your local trading standards? It could be a deliberate mis listing of number as others have said, all sorts of reasons, could be to avoid HA or council (if they are the LL) spotting the flat on air bnb, utility bills, hmrc (may not be declaring the income). It may end up being worth the cost to get a cease and desist letter. If the air bnb flat is council or HA report it. The LL doesn't deserve the efforts you have made to help her. Yes, it might inconvience guests but that is not your concern. Your neighbour is a CF.

Nat6999 · 01/10/2019 18:51

If you end up having to answer the door, look ashamed & tell them that the environmental health have closed you down until all the rats have been exterminated. Will look well on the reviews & keep the visitors down.

Purpleartichoke · 01/10/2019 18:52

It is a scam because they want to earn money without being identified.

The “not Airbnb... scammed” sign is the way to go. It might actually force your neighbors to fix the problem.

merrymouse · 01/10/2019 18:52

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

They aren't acting like legit hosts if they aren't taking any action to remedy the mistake.

LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 01/10/2019 18:52

@StealthPolarBear where we live you can only abort let for a number of days in the year. It that the council ever bothers to check but if they looked at bookings for a particular property they might be able to spot people going ‘over’. This is one reason why ratbags do this in our block. Of course there have been cases where someone has rented the flat then sub let to multiple people via short let websites and pocketed the money (and the flat left empty). I’ve met several people on the front steps waiting for a landlord who never shows.

StealthPolarBear · 01/10/2019 18:55

Purple but you only get the money on the second day of their stay I think. Presumably to stop this.

bluebeck · 01/10/2019 18:56

Totally agree with PP - Put up sign saying "This is not AirBnB or other letting."

If anyone knocks just tell them you have no idea but it isn't you - you have reported to police etc.

Campervan69 · 01/10/2019 19:05

It seems very strange that they have repeatedly put the same wrong details on all their adverts. Almost as if they were doing it on purpose. Surely you don't give the full address when you put a property up for rental, you just give the postcode and then once the person books it you contact them directly and give them the correct address?

mummmy2017 · 01/10/2019 19:25

I'd be another telling them that they have the wrong address, nothing todo with me.
And just shut the door.
How do they get into the house, is it a keysafe on the wall?

runoutofnamechanges · 01/10/2019 19:37

I feel for you... we had the same problem. Someone let a neighbouring flat then put it up on Air BnB and all the other sites with our flat number so they could avoid getting caught by the landlord. I just told their guests that they had the wrong address, they should report it as a scam and directed them to a nearby hotel.

I also sent a copy of the deeds from the land registry to prove that I was the owner of that address, not the person who had placed the ads. The ads stayed up but they showed as unavailable. What ended it for good was reporting them to their landlord and the freeholder.

purplecorkheart · 01/10/2019 20:56

Contact the letting agency and report. They techincally are sharing information about you which is not relevant and without your consent. This is a violate with GDPR. Request that they move the information immediately

StealthPolarBear · 01/10/2019 21:00

No they're not. The fact an address exists is not personal information.

LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 01/10/2019 21:00

GDPR relates to personal data.

FairfaxAikman · 02/10/2019 06:29

Urgh you have my sympathy- we had this in our block of six for about a year before we moved.
Do you have a management company for the block? In the end it was only multiple complaints about the flat to our factors that got it shut down.