Residents of Hackney have expressed their outrage over a situation where a residence intended for a disabled key worker is being leased to holiday tourists via Airbnb.
“People are absolutely furious,” commented Mary Pimm from the Victoria Park Community Association. “Peabody and Hackney Council have been sluggish in their response.”
Since September, locals have observed various individuals arriving and departing from the specially adapted bungalow with luggage in hand.
An investigation is currently being conducted by Hackney Council and Peabody, the organization that oversees the property. Airbnb has announced that the rental listing has been suspended.
BBC London encountered residents outside the home, displaying placards and banners as they voiced their demand for the eviction of the current tenant.
Ms. Pimm stated, “We’re completely appalled, as finding suitable housing for those with disabilities is already incredibly challenging.”
The BBC London team was shown a listing that suggested the bungalow was available for rental at £164 per night on the Airbnb platform.
Alan Bryce from the Tenancy Fraud Forum remarked, “This situation is hardly a victimless crime. The true victims are the families living in temporary accommodations. In London alone, there are more than 70,000 families in this predicament.”
He added that there are roughly 50,000 social homes in the capital that are affected by some form of tenancy fraud.
A representative for Hackney Council indicated, “Thousands of individuals in London urgently require affordable housing, and we take any reports of this nature extremely seriously.
A criminal investigation is in progress regarding this property, and we are collaborating with Peabody on this matter. Due to the ongoing investigation, we are unable to provide further comments at this time.”
A Peabody spokesperson stated, “As a nonprofit housing association dedicated to social responsibility, we unequivocally oppose any fraudulent acquisition of affordable homes intended for those in genuine need.
We take all reports of this nature very seriously and work cooperatively with our partners across various agencies to reclaim these residences so they can be reassigned to those on the council’s waiting list. We are investigating these specific allegations alongside our partners.”
Mr. Bryce noted that online rental platforms could implement several measures to prevent fraudulent listings from being posted.
“Airbnb should independently verify that a property is not social housing,” he claimed.
An Airbnb spokesperson responded, “Hosting in social housing is frequently illegal and has no place on our platform.
We have suspended the listing and are coordinating with the local housing association to assist with their investigation. We have an established process for local authorities to alert us to instances of social housing fraud, and we take down these listings promptly.
We remind hosts to adhere to local regulations regarding hosting, and we are committed to collaborating with local authorities to combat social housing fraud.”
