A wild Airbnb owner accused by neighbours of hosting ‘sex parties’ has lost his appeal to keep an elevated deck, sauna and trellis fencing at his Norfolk bungalow
The owner of an Airbnb accused of hosting sex parties has lost his battle to keep a sauna and decking – which neighbours say were used for “debauchery”. Owner Chandler Harrod marketed the bungalow in Ormesby St Margaret, Norfolk as a perfect getaway spot for couples.
But locals claimed randy guests having outdoor sex sessions were blighting their lives – as a hot tub on raised decking was in full view of neighbouring gardens.
Harrod was refused retrospective permission from Great Yarmouth Borough Council for the decking, sauna outbuilding and 2.8-metre tall trellis fencing last year. It came after a whistleblower tipped off officials, claiming that some building work had been carried out in the garden without the required permission.
And now the Planning Inspectorate has dismissed an appeal by Mr Harrod following a site visit last month. Nobody was available to grant the inspector access to the property, which has a 4.81 rating on Airbnb and and would set you back £221 for two nights this month.
The appeal followed a flood of complaints from neighbours in the village who objected to the unauthorised building work and raised concerns over guest behaviour. Locals claimed elevated decking meant they’d seen guests getting steamy in the hot tub and had used condoms thrown into their gardens.
They also said they were frequently forced to listen to the accompanying noise coming from the nondescript two-bedroom bungalow. Having already warned Mr Harrod in writing that a no-show would result in automatic dismissal under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the inspector threw out his appeal.
The bungalow is still being listed on Airbnb as a “coastal getaway with sauna and hot tub”. But Mr Harrod, who bought the property during the pandemic, could now be forced to remove the sauna and rip out the decking and trellis.
Local Rosemary Vincent, 90, previously said: “There is all sorts of debauchery there, which all the residents are aware of”. John Huxford, 80, added: “I have seen all sorts going on there.
“I have seen people having sex on the decking and up to all sorts of mischief in the hot tub. People also stand on the table, shouting.
“As a result of the partying, all sorts of stuff has been thrown into my garden – beer cans, litter and even a used condom. It is just disgusting.”
Owner Mr Harrod previously said: “I’m not aware of any problems with the Airbnb, it’s been very successful and it’s always fully booked. I’ve had nothing but positive conversations and experiences with all my neighbours on the road.
“It’s a lovely area and everybody has been very kind and helpful. Of course, if any of the neighbours need to have a conversation with me, they are more than welcome to.”
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