- EXCLUSIVE: 13% of renters have admitted to sub-letting their homes
- Have YOU been victim of this? Email [email protected]
A London landlady who let our her two bedroom flat to a tenant was disgusted to find that rather than live in it himself he had marketed it on AirBnB and pocketed the exorbitant holiday rental fees.
Fiona Wyllie had bought her flat on the Isle of Dogs in 2004 for £470,000 but in 2019 took early retirement and moved to Scotland to care for her mother – placing her flat on the rental market for £2,200 a month.
After finding a tenant, Fiona settled into a routine and watched the money come in every month completely unaware that he was himself making a killing by sub-letting the property.
The full-time- carer only learnt of the deception when her neighbour called her, asking for an explanation as to why there were so many people continually coming and going from her flat.
She then discovered her property on an AirBnb listing complete with a range of exorbitant rates and full pictures of the interior of the flat.
Fiona was stunned to find her rented out property had been listed on Airbnb by her tenant
Fiona Wyllie had bought her flat on the Isle of Dogs in 2004 for £470,000
The tenant had been charging rates of £280 a night for the enviable location
Speaking to MailOnline, Fiona revealed she had been completely in the dark over her tenant’s motives and had been forced to battle to evict him.
Fiona revealed she had been completely in the dark over her tenant’s motives and had been forced to battle to evict him
She said: ‘For a while I didn’t suspect anything. It was only when my neighbour said there had been a lot of comings and goings from the flat with different people staying for five days or so at a time that I clocked something was up.
‘Then I saw that he had advertised my flat on AirB&B.
‘He was charging upwards of £280 for a single night’s stay in the flat.
‘He converted the living dining area into a bedroom so was able to market it as a three bedroom.
‘He also had it available for the whole month of May for the price of £7,500.
‘He was earning more from the flat than I was!’
After realising what was going on under her nose Fiona sprang into action and began the arduous task of removing him from his scam and her property.
She said: ‘I immediately sent him an eviction notice with the assistance of my estate agent, telling him that in the contract he was not allowed to sublet my property and therefore he was in contravention of the agreement.
‘I eventually got him out on the court order and he left last Friday.
‘I think this man was a serial con artist. He would target properties where the owners lived overseas or far away and he knew he could get away with it.’
The listing included full pictures of the interior of her flat
The lodger had even installed a sofa bed to market the two bed flat as a three
Amazingly, a spokesperson for the National Residential Landlords Association told MailOnline that Fiona’s story was far from an isolated incident.
They said: ‘Research by Direct Line suggests that 13 per cent of renters admit to sub-letting part of the home they live in.
‘Of this group, almost a half (48 per cent) did not let their landlord know.
‘Not only does sub-letting risk invalidating a landlord’s insurance on a property and breaching any licensing, planning or leasehold restrictions which may be in place.
‘It may also lead to a property becoming overcrowded, with all the safety risks and potential for disturbances associated with this.
‘Where a property has been sub-let without the landlord’s permission, it is likely to have breached the term of a tenancy agreement.
‘In this instance the landlord can begin proceedings to repossess the property from the tenant(s) involved, although this can be a lengthy process.’
- Have YOU been victim of this? Email [email protected]
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
