Homeowner rents out an empty house on Airbnb for parties until it sells. Photo / Supplied
Homeowner rents out an empty house on Airbnb for parties until it sells. Photo / Supplied
Residents of a Sydney street have been left tearing their hair out after a family decided to put their home on the market — but turned it into an Airbnb "party house" while waiting for it to sell.
The massive six-bedroom, three-bathroom, 482sq m home in the inner-west suburb of Lewisham was last purchased in June 2016 for $1.47 million, property records show, news.com.au reported.
It's currently on the market billed as an "excellent opportunity for an astute investor or a childcare centre operator subject to council approval".
Neighbour Melissa Milowski said the owners had moved out recently and "since then there has been a huge party every single weekend for the past three weeks".
"The last one started at 9pm and was still going when I got up at 6.30am," she said. "The music was so loud the windows were vibrating and I could hear the music inside our bathroom."
She says someone or multiple people "obviously complained because we all got a note yesterday saying there is a 21st in the same property this Friday night".
The note, addressed to "Dear Residing Neighbour", says there will be a 21st birthday party at the house on Friday "starting approximately around 7.30/8pm til very late".
"I have taken the initiative to register the party with NSW Police Force so they are aware of the event and can be on-site if any drama were to happen which I highly doubt it," it says.
"As a respective (sic) neighbour, I thought that it was in your best interest to have at least a few days notice of the party so you know of it and also to avoid making any complaints. I extend my strong appreciation for you understanding."
'Stay blessed!': One neighbour says it's 'totally legal but totally rude'. Photo / Supplied
It concludes, "That's all from me today, stay blessed!"
When she rang the selling agent, Ms Milowski says she was told the owner "is hiring the house out on Airbnb for people to hold parties until he sells it".
"I'm sure it's totally legal but totally rude," she said. "It's also kind of genius."
Rebecca Tso from Upside Realty said she had received a number of calls from neighbours in the past few days about the parties but she didn't know anything about it.
"I'm the sales agent, I don't know who manages these tenants," she said.
"I asked the owner if he sent the note for the party in the coming weekend and he said, 'No, I don't know (about it), I'm too busy.'"
Ms Tso said she believed the parties were "organised by an agent" but that she had been told "they're going to stop it".
Owner Xinyi Wang said she had "put the listing on Airbnb" but it was "already off". "I put on the Airbnb listing (to) keep quiet after 10pm," she said.
Ms Wang said she was "not aware" who sent the note to neighbours.
