Airbnb host evicted to pay fine for illegally subletting his social flat in London
A court in London has ordered an Airbnb host to pay around £100,000 for subletting his state-owned Central London flat on Airbnb. Westminster City Council allocates subsidized social homes for citizens who cannot afford to have a house. These social homes have strict rules around subletting. The Airbnb host has illegally rented his social home, located minutes away from Buckingham Place, since 2013. He had more than 300 reviews on his Airbnb profile. In an attempt to evade authorities, the host had used a fake name over the years. The Council’s antifraud service caught him because of a review left by a guess. The Council affirms that more than 1,500 homes are under investigation for short-term renting. They are calling the UK government to create a compulsory cross-platform registration scheme for property owners. Last year, the Council recovered 24 housing properties illegally announced on Airbnb.