A landlord fears neighbours may force him out for breaking lease conditions due to rogue renters illegally sub-letting his flat.

Architect Christian Pearce (pictured), who owns two properties in Sandringham Court (main image) near Soho’s Carnaby Street, and runs his business nearby, says one flat had been sublet on holiday letting sites three times in a row, so he now receives alerts any time his properties are advertised online.

Pearce asked one tenant to leave, who advertised the flat as soon as he got the keys, while a second is being taken to court, the South London Press reports. One of the flats was recently used as a makeshift brothel and Pearce only found out when residents began inundating him with calls.

The landlord says: “I thought they were joking, but then I was having photos of men leaving the flat and going down the stairs at 2, 3 and 4 o’clock in the morning.”

However, his flats are not the only properties in Sandringham Court being advertised on holiday letting sites as there is currently an advert for a three-bedroom flat catering for seven people on Booking.com costing £1,100 a night in December. The building also contains owners renting out their homes as 'short lets' for up to £6,500 a month.

Vomit

Residents in the building report that guests of holiday lets vomit in hallways, leave doors ajar and have threatened them with physical abuse. Firefighters have been called in multiple times to free guests trapped in the lift while one resident says it is constantly broken because holidaymakers overload it with suitcases.

A spokesman for Booking.com says when accommodation providers sign up, they must verify that they are legally permitted to rent out their accommodation. After an investigation, the platform can remove a property if necessary.

Westminster City councillor Paul Dimoldenberg told the paper: “We are sorry to hear about the negative encounters experienced by some residents which may constitute a breach of the terms of the lease, but as this is a civil matter the council has limited powers to resolve this.”

Image credits: Cornerstone/Streetview