‘My Soho flat feels like a hostel because of short-term lets’

Short-Term Letting Transforms Soho Flat Into ‘Hostel-Like’ Living Experience

Traveloasisspot.com – A young professional residing in central London has described his residential experience as deteriorating into something resembling a hostel, primarily due to continuous short-term visitors occupying the apartment directly above his own. Yusuf, a 32-year-old resident, relocated to his Soho property in 2017 and initially fell in love with the building. However, the arrival of a short-term letting operation has fundamentally altered his daily life, transforming what was once a peaceful home into a space where he frequently seeks refuge elsewhere. The disturbances have become so persistent that Yusuf now finds himself wandering the streets of Westminster during nighttime hours. The primary culprit is the constant stream of guests occupying the flat above, whose activities echo through the building’s thin ceiling structure.

It is unbearable. I hate it. Like, I have to go out of the house most of the time. So, at night I’m out of the house because at night is the main time [guests] make the noise.

The noise complaints documented by Yusuf span back to November of the previous year. His personal log captures a wide range of disturbances, from loud music playing in the early morning hours to suitcases being dragged across floors and heavy footsteps echoing through the building.

It’s like a hotel or hostel type accommodation. And when I’m paying as much as I’m paying, I don’t want to be feeling like that.

Under Westminster’s current regulations, residential properties can operate as short-term lets for up to 90 days within each calendar year without requiring additional planning permission. This policy has enabled numerous landlords to convert long-term rental units into temporary accommodations for tourists and business travelers. Local authorities have confirmed that an investigation into the short-term letting operations at Yusuf’s building is currently underway. While no formal Enforcement Notice has yet been issued, the Council has acknowledged that it is the investigating body. At this preliminary stage, no findings of fault have been recorded. The building itself houses 11 flats in total, with only four occupied by long-term tenants. New landlords assumed control of the property at the conclusion of 2023, bringing with them a different approach to managing the short-term letting operation.

One more flat that’s a short-term let means there’s one less home for a resident and one less person for a community, someone that builds Soho.

Yusuf emphasized that the constant turnover of guests disrupts the sense of community that typically characterizes residential buildings. Unlike long-term neighbors who can establish relationships and communicate about noise issues, short-term visitors come and go without forming lasting connections.

I guess if it was, you know, thin walls, but you have someone consistent there, you can have a dialogue and you can say, you know, when you do this, it’s quite loud, when you do that, it’s quite loud.

And you kind of learn how to live with each other. But because it’s new people every time, you feel like you never really get to that point.

The structural characteristics of the building contribute to the problem as well. Yusuf noted that the ceilings are exceptionally thin, allowing him to hear even minor sounds such as coughing and snoring from the apartment above.

[The ceilings are] very thin. So I can hear them coughing. When I’m in my bedroom I can hear them snoring when someone is snoring. That’s how much I can hear.

Obviously as opposed to daily living I know that there’s going to be noise, but when there’s parties, music, people slamming doors, it gets tiring and it gets unbearable to live [with].

Following contact from the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the property listing on Booking.com appeared to become unavailable, suggesting a potential response to the growing concerns. The landlords have maintained that the flat accommodates a small number of responsible guests who comply with all applicable regulations. They emphasized that the building’s age means sound naturally travels more easily through its structure.

With respect to noise, the building is an older structure where sound naturally travels.

We have always been willing to implement reasonable mitigation measures, and we have offered these to the downstairs neighbour. However, mitigation is only effective where all parties are willing to cooperate, and unfortunately this has not been the case.

The landlords acknowledged experiencing a difficult relationship with their downstairs neighbor, despite their efforts to address the concerns through communication and potential noise reduction measures. Yusuf has attempted to engage directly with the landlords regarding the ongoing issues. While he noted that communications were initially responsive, he claims that this dialogue has since broken down, leaving him without a clear resolution pathway. The situation reflects a broader challenge facing many London neighborhoods, where the popularity of short-term rentals has transformed residential areas into temporary accommodations for visitors, potentially undermining the communities that have developed over decades. As the investigation continues, residents like Yusuf remain hopeful that the findings will lead to meaningful improvements in their living conditions, whether through enforcement actions, mitigation measures, or changes to how the short-term letting operation is managed.