A Norwich landlord who spotted her own house on Booking.com has been told by her tenant – the director of a property firm – she'll be moving out.
But Susan Orme, who owns a terraced house in Kerrison Road which has been sub-let by her tenant without her knowledge, is worried people may still turn up at the house after booking it for a city break.
Mrs Orme, who let 10 Kerrison Road to a tenant for £835 a month on an assured shorthold tenancy last December, served an eviction notice after finding out it was being sub-let, in breach of the agreement.
She has been told the tenant will be leaving on March 30.
The property was advertised, unbeknown to Mrs Orme, on a number of sites including Booking.com, Gites.fr, planetofhotels.com and thebookingbutton.com. It was priced up to £500 a night on one site and £160 on another for Good Friday.
Although the property is still listed on some sites, you can no longer book it.
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However, Mrs Orme is worried about what happens if people who have already made a booking turn up. Her friend has booked it for two nights in March and has not been notified that it has been cancelled.
It has also emerged that the tenant at the centre of the row is Annette Jones, 65, a director of a firm called Touch Base Properties.
It is registered to Cranes Croft Road, Sprowston, as well as Durham Street in Norwich on its own website and 'Karrison Road' on another.
The firm has three properties on its site; an apartment at its own address in Durham Street, one in Aylsham and another in Morston. All properties are being legitimately let in accordance with their owner's wishes.
Mrs Orme, 59, said: "I just want Mrs Jones to leave my property in good condition so I can get my house and my life back. I would like this awful experience to go away and hope no one else has to go through this."
When this newspaper contacted Mrs Jones, she said: "I have taken down the property."
She said it was a "misunderstanding" and that she could not vacate Kerrison Road until she had found somewhere else to live.
The "spacious Norwich city terrace" on Kerrison Road is described online by Touch Base Properties. They say: "In our property we have tried to include everything we believe should be required in a home away from home... We are very lucky to be able to share our recently renovated terrace with you within weeks of being finished."
Five reviews on the site show different people stayed there over January and February. Neighbours have also noticed people coming and going.
One lady, who lives opposite the house in The Factory development, who did not want to be named, said she had found a group of men sitting on the steps recently.
"The three men were looking for the property, they were wearing high-vis jackets and had a van, it was a Monday night at about 5.30pm," she said. "I watched them wait for a man who came in a car and opened up the house, put the lights on and gave them the keys." Another neighbour spoke to another man who said he "was doing a comedy act at the theatre" who was staying at the house.
Some neighbours have complained to Mrs Orme over too many comings and goings over the past month in what is a quiet street. One recently emailed Mrs Orme saying: "I ask that you take our concerns seriously, we have lived at Kerrison Road since 1984, this is our home and we should feel safe here."
A spokeswoman from Booking.com told this newspaper: "As soon as we are made aware of an issue or complaint regarding a property, we investigate immediately, as we are doing in this case."
Have you booked 10 Kerrison Road, Norwich? We would like to hear from you. Please email caroline.culot@archant.co.uk
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