Landlord granted injunction against tenant using Airbnb upheld on appeal

Bermondsey Exchange Freeholders Limited v Ninos Koumetto (Trustee in Bankruptcy of Kevin Geoghehan Conway) [2018], County Court at Central London

The rise of websites such as Airbnb has seen an increase in short term holiday style letting of traditionally long-term residential properties.  In 2015 London’s housing legislation was amended specifically in response to the rise of Airbnb and other websites: a homeowner is able to let out their house, flat or spare rooms for up to three months a year . In London, unlike other cities such as Berlin or Barcelona, there are no city-wide regulations (or restrictions) regarding the use of Airbnb. This case emphasises that it falls to construction of the terms of the lease between the freeholder and leaseholder to ascertain whether a leaseholder’s use of Airbnb is permitted.

Read more in this alerter by Reanne Mackenzie.