Need urgent advice recovering possession from Airbnb tenant?
I would be grateful for advice from experienced landlords who may have dealt with a similar situation.
I own a house in Central London which was let on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy. Shortly after the tenancy commenced, I discovered evidence suggesting that the property was being used for short-term holiday accommodation rather than as the tenants’ home.
After obtaining the tenants’ permission to attend the property because of a reported boiler problem, I found a cleaner preparing the house for incoming guests, commercial quantities of linen and towels, an electronic keypad lock replacing the original front door lock, and virtually no personal belongings. Shortly afterwards I found the property advertised on Booking.com, and I subsequently met guests staying there who confirmed they had booked through Booking.com.
The tenancy agreement expressly prohibits subletting and short-term holiday letting.
The tenants have denied any breach and have refused to surrender the tenancy.
My immediate priority is recovering possession of my property as quickly and lawfully as possible.
I would appreciate advice from landlords who have successfully dealt with similar situations.
My questions are:
1. What is the quickest and most effective legal route to recover possession where there is evidence of unauthorised short-term letting?
2. Is it better to rely on breach of tenancy, or should I also consider other grounds?
3. What evidence proved most persuasive in court?
4. Would you continue collecting evidence from Booking.com and any future guests while possession proceedings are ongoing?
5. Is there anything you wish you had done differently when dealing with a similar case?
There is one additional aspect that concerns me. The applicants never attended the property in person before the tenancy commenced, and I am now trying to understand how possession of the property was actually handed over and whether appropriate due diligence was undertaken by the letting agent. I intend to investigate that separately once I have recovered possession, but if anyone has encountered a similar situation, I would be interested to hear your experience.
Any practical advice from landlords who have been through this process would be greatly appreciated.
Lyndy
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Health and Safety fire regulations vs insurance cover?
Member Since February 2011 - Comments: 3462 - Articles: 286
9:01 AM, 30th July 2026, About 13 hours ago
Please see >> https://www.property118.com/evicting-tenants/
Under the current rules, Section 21 is no longer available. The usual route would be a Section 8 notice relying primarily on Ground 12—breach of the tenancy agreement—which currently requires two weeks’ notice but remains discretionary, so possession is not guaranteed. Ground 17 may also apply if materially false information was used to obtain the tenancy, together with any applicable rent-arrears grounds.
Instruct a specialist possession solicitor immediately and preserve dated screenshots of every listing, photographs, messages, evidence of the changed lock, cleaner or guest statements, and the letting agent’s full referencing and check-in records. Continue gathering evidence lawfully, but do not enter without permission, confront guests, change the locks or attempt removal without a court order and bailiffs.
Member Since December 2025 - Comments: 18
10:02 AM, 30th July 2026, About 11 hours ago
Reply to the comment left by Neil Patterson at 30/07/2026 – 09:01
I am no expert, but have a Central London rental property over one which has been (twice) illegally sublet as an AirBnB. It may be worth approaching neighbours, not least because they may be unhappy and it would be polite to acknowledge this and confirm you are taking action.
The other reason is that they are better placed to gather evidence you might need in the future, including any episodes of anti-social behaviour. In my case the first set of illegal AirBnBs finished when one set of AirBnB guests were seriously out of order including trying to break the front door down in the middle of the night when they could not get in. My tenant called the police and we informed the owner via the management company. I assume the evidence of ASB helped the eviction. (The owner then sold but to someone who decided he could let and manage the property himself from Hong Kong. And who immediately had the same problem – it is a common Central London problem.)
You might also look at Council restrictions on short lets. There is a good chance your tenant is breaching those.
Member Since October 2020 - Comments: 1279
10:51 AM, 30th July 2026, About 11 hours ago
Ask a solicitor to write to the tenant stating your discovery and advising them to serve notice immediately.
Member Since January 2016 - Comments: 476
11:32 AM, 30th July 2026, About 10 hours ago
Would do no harm to contact AirBnB, Booking.com and anywhere else you find your property advertised and inform them the property is illegally sublet and they should block it and ideally your tenant from their site.
They might be more inclined to move on if you cut off their illegal income stream
Member Since July 2023 - Comments: 27
8:48 PM, 30th July 2026, About 43 minutes ago
Book it yourself and then don’t leave, what legal angle will the so called tenants have?
Member Since February 2020 - Comments: 34
9:31 PM, 30th July 2026, About 13 seconds ago
Reply to the comment left by Mark W at 30/07/2026 – 20:48
I would engage a camera crew for that encounter..!I reckon you film it and get it out on YouTube and all the usual you might make some cash.