£450 a night Airbnb in Howard Building – apparently CBWRA and Rendall and Rittner have only just noticed it

It has been reported to the author of this blog that a property in Howard building has been used as an Airbnb for at least two years and possibly longer. The property is listed here:

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/6683135

The property, which goes for upwards of £450 a night, was apparently purchased in 2015 for £1,025,000 and is currently valued at up to £1,022,000 (according to themovemarket.com).

Many residents are unhappy about Chelsea Bridge Wharf properties being used for Airbnb as this frequently leads to issues with noise nuisance and other problem with ‘neighbours’ who are only staying for a few days. It is not suggested that this particular property has had any such issues – or at least I have no evidence that that is the case.

Rendall and Rittner have stated that Airbnbs are not allowed at CBW. They had previously stated that whether Airbnb use contravenes the lease is a matter of debate. Whilst the leases for most or all blocks do allow for short term lets they usually specify that rentals must be for several months minimum. Clearly rentals that may be as short as one night are not short term rentals in the meaning intended by the lease. The Chelsea Bridge Wharf Residents’ Association does not seem to have taken any meaningful action to deal with properties being used for Airbnb and neither have Rendall or Rittner as far as I am aware but they did give residents a vague warning about not renting out via Airbnb at the meeting with residents on 24th July 2023. Following my publication of this article CBWRA seem to have miraculously worked out the address of this Airbnb which has been up for at least 2 years and they have given me the supposed apartment number. Some weeks later (16th August 2023) the listing is still up on Airbnb and no action has been taken. Although CBWRA claim to be working closely with Rendall and Rittner to resolve the Airbnb issue it would not seem that they have passed this information to Rendall and Rittner, judging by the response I received today from Rendall and Rittner which basically amounts to ‘we don’t know what apartment it is so we cannot do anything’.

CBWRA have contacted me to say that no CBWRA committee member is running this air b n b (as this article originally suggested, based on information received). I am happy to take their word for it (I guess?) and have amended the post. I note this is the first thing on my blog that they have contacted me to dispute so I must assume they accept its veracity.

Unlike CBWRA I am happy to correct mistakes/incorrect information. I await CBWRA’s correction of the countless untruths which they have told about me on the CBW app, the evidence of my supposed violating of CBW app guidelines (which they have had over a year to produce but cannot do and their numerous dodgy electoral procedures). I also await the apology of CBWRA committee and particularly Larissa Villar Hauser and Louis Sebastian Kendall in for having misinformed residents about Right to Manage for two years.

Hopefully this Airbnb will be dealt with, along with others which are blatantly advertised online, but it seems there is little appetite to do that from CBWRA or Rendall and Rittner.