A huge row has erupted over one of Manchester’s most expensive Airbnbs with neighbours saying they no longer go to bed as “there’s no point” due to the noise.
Neighbour Susan, who asked her real name wasn’t used, told Manchester Evening News she’d lived on the street in Prestwich for 39 years and used to enjoy the area for its peace and quiet.
However, a property on nearby Sheepfoot Lane is now listed as an Airbnb. The huge villa can sleep 16 people and has luxurious facilities including a private hot tub and pool. It costs a whopping £1,200 per night.
The property has reportedly attracted large groups looking to celebrate parties and has left neighbours unable to sleep. One neighbour told MEN that the noise affected her daughter’s GCSE revision.
Susan said the reality of living next door to the property was “horrific”. She said: “I can’t explain to you what the noise is like. You can’t go in your garden.
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“We can’t enjoy our homes during summer. We don’t go to bed, there’s no point. We just wait until the noise is over.”
She described the noise as “totally unacceptable and so rude”. Another neighbour claimed she had heard guests using “nitrous oxide” outside the property.
However, the property’s owners, Azmat and Farzana Ali, have said they have been victimised. They claimed to the MEN that their son’s wedding was recently targeted by hooded intruders who vandalised the property, upset the bride and subjected them to racist abuse.
Susan and the other neighbour said they had no knowledge of the alleged incident and Susan said it was “disgusting” if the Alis had faced racism.
The Alis said they did not report the alleged incident to the police but they believe it was motivated by resentment towards the Airbnb.
The pair told the MEN they take the neighbours’ concerns seriously but “will not be bullied into closing the property down when we have done nothing wrong”.
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Azmat and Farzana live next door to the Airbnb and purchased it from someone who they claim had advertised it as a party house. The couple claimed they decided to honour existing bookings.
They said: “We had no experience on how to manage a property or how to control noise levels, but now after a good few months we know the best way to manage the property. We carefully vet all potential guests, requesting identification and ensuring that our property is not used for parties or disruptive activities. We have encountered two instances where guests misrepresented themselves and caused damage to our property, which further reinforced the need for urgent screening.”
They said a party ban had been in place since June 2023 and they’ve also brought in a 10pm curfew and other limits.
Airbnb has now suspended the property’s listing following neighbour allegations so the couple have listed it with an agent.
Inspector Gareth Edwards, of GMP, said the force had ‘worked closely with local partners’ to address complaints, adding: “We have spoken to those involved in the letting of the property, who have made a variety of changes, restricting those who are able to let the property from agents, removing access to areas of the property reducing noise, and playing a much greater role in the direct management of noise and other nuisances from occupants when let.
“We will continue to investigate all reports that come into us and we will act on reports of anti-social and nuisance behaviour where we can.”
A spokesperson for AirBnb said: “Parties are banned on Airbnb, and the listing has been suspended. We want to be a good partner to local communities, which is why we have removed or suspended 1,000 listings in the UK to help stop unwanted behaviour as well as launched technology to identify high risk reservations and prevent them from taking place.
“Local residents can also use our Neighbourhood Support Line to report urgent concerns, and we investigate all reports received.”
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