A UK landlord discovered that their tenant, a fitness influencer, secretly rented out their home on Airbnb and used the income to fund lavish vacations in Dubai.
For the past 12 years, Leanne Newton, a 54-year-old landlord, has rented her one-bedroom flat to a diverse group of tenants, including student doctors, teachers, and those facing eviction. However, last Monday, she began doubting whether renting the property was worthwhile.
Newton's doubts weren't about rising interest rates or the impending Renters' Rights Bill; instead, she had been the victim of a scam. This is because an individual had been illegally subletting her east London flat to unsuspecting tourists, using the profits to live a lavish lifestyle.
Landlord Shocked As Tenant Profits Off Subletting Scheme
Landlord Newton busted tenant Ifende Uzoka, a bodybuilding champion flaunting Dubai yacht trips, for illegally subletting the Stratford flat on Airbnb and Booking.com for a whopping £190 per night. At this nightly rate, Uzoka, who signed a tenancy in October 2023, could potentially earn a staggering £69,350 annually, far outpacing the £22,800 (£1,900 monthly) rent she pays Newton.
Newton is attempting to evict Uzoka, a prominent online influencer called MsFitQueen. Uzoka operates a successful clothing company with the same name and has been featured on BBC Radio London's "The Scene with Claira Hermet," a show dedicated to showcasing London's diverse cultural landscape and emerging talent.
"I've been a landlord for many, many years. I've had student doctors, single parents, people who've been thrown out and need a home," Newton told MailOnline. "This is the first time in my whole term as a landlord that I've ever encountered something like this; it's gobsmacking," Newton added.
According to Shelter, a charity advocating for tenant rights in Great Britain, approximately one in 208 people in England were homeless in 2023. Meanwhile, according to the Office for National Statistics, average private rents in the UK increased by 8.6 percent in the twelve months leading up to July 2024.
As rents continue to soar, many individuals have sought innovative solutions. For example, Harrison Marshall, a London-based businessman operating a small architecture firm, resorted to living in a refurbished rental dumpster, which effectively cost him $62 per month after he could not find an apartment within his budget.
On the other hand, some tenants like Uzoka exploit the property they rent by generating income without the landlord's knowledge or consent. Newton, a retired British businesswoman who relocated to France this year, explained that despite Uzoka, 34, meeting the managing agent in person and viewing the flat herself, she never occupied the property when the lease began in October 2023.
Without Newton's knowledge, Uzoka spun a web of deceit. She listed the one-bedroom flat as a two-bedroom holiday home for four on platforms like Booking.com. Newton, revealing the converted dining room served as the "second" bedroom, even found evidence of a booking for eight guests.
Overwhelmed with anger, she exclaimed, "Aside from swear words, it was an absolute shock. How could there be another house in London with similar architecture to mine and similar art to mine, but with different furniture?"
"I had heard about these sorts of scams operating, but we thought we were careful about the screening and contracts process, and we have still been bitten," she said. "She's gone through the whole application process with this fraud in mind; it's just not bloody right."
Booking.com reviews paint a concerning picture. The flat has been booked for at least 48 nights since November 2023, just a month after the tenancy began. One vacationer claims Uzoka cancelled their stay "two minutes before check-in," leaving them scrambling.
Another left a scathing review, revealing they had to book a hotel due to the poor conditions. "False advertising," they wrote. "Only 2 beds, not 3 as advertised." Newton further revealed that upon booking her own flat through Booking.com, she received a message from a group called "Bella Ruiz Team."
Tenant's Secret Operation Exposed
This suggests Ifende might be using a company to manage the fraudulent bookings. "Thank you for choosing our place for you to stay! We're delighted to welcome you soon," the message said.
"We'll send you more information about check-in when your reservation date is sooner. In the meantime, if you feel like you have any questions or concerns, feel free to let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you. We aim to make your stay as comfortable and memorable as possible. Safe travels and see you soon! Warm regards, Bella Ruiz Team."
Filmmaker and entrepreneur Andy Amadi, whom Uzoka follows on Instagram, is the CEO of the Bella Ruiz Team. Newton explained Uzoka's actions at the Bella Ruiz Team, stating, "They've changed out the furniture. They've put panels up on walls. They've mounted big-screen TVs on walls that are not safe for that to happen in."
"Up to eight people can actually go and rent the property, and under the Newham Council licensing laws, I could only have two. It was only ever supposed to be let to one single woman. They're advertising it as being able to take four, but when I did a booking for it, I was able to get eight in, four adults and four people aged 17," she revealed.
Newton informed that Uzoka had inspected the property and passed background and credit checks with flying colours. However, nine months into the tenancy, the landlord began to chase overdue rental payments.
The tenant repaid her outstanding debt but then vanished, refusing to pay rent or respond to Newton and the managing agent. Newton's attempts to contact the tenant's employer, as provided on the reference check, revealed a fraudulent claim. The company had never employed the tenant.
Newton made repeated attempts to meet with the tenant to discuss any potential financial hardships. "Every offer of a meeting has been refused," she said. "Now I know why, because I would have walked in, immediately seen that all the furniture's changed and known that something was going. My hands are really tied," she added.
Newton learned on Monday that her flat was being illegally sublet to tourists. She promptly informed the managing agent, who was taken aback by the news. "There was an email sent to the tenant, highlighting that subletting was unlawful and that I'd seen the property advertised on both Airbnb and Booking.com."
"I attempted again to contact the tenant. There's been no response to that whatsoever, and we issued an eviction notice on Friday last week," Newton said. Newton was outraged that tenants like Uzoka were profiting from illegal subletting, hindering the availability of housing for legitimate renters.
"It's not good enough, and our legislation is not geared to make protections for this," she said. Newton reported the situation to Newham Council, Airbnb, Booking.com, and the Metropolitan Police but has yet to receive any intervention.
Landlord Left In The Lurch By Met Police
Newton said, "they [the council] should have had an enforcement team in there last week. If this person has been able to get me, an experienced landlord into this type of scam, who else out there is being conned, and so you can do all the right employment checks, but if you're given fraudulent information, how would you know?"
"And then in this instance, where this person's been discovered partway through, under current legislation in the UK and under planned or pending legislation in the UK, how do I as a landlord get this fixed in a timely fashion, without waiting for the eviction process or even the section 21 process, and not wind up with a house gets completely trashed."
"I can see from online photos that there are at least two doors hanging off hinges, and there's been repeated references in reviews to cleanliness or lack thereof and blocked plumbing. And I know that there are two big screen TVs from the photos that are hanging off of walls that were not designed for the weight of the big screen TV," she told the outlet.
Adding to the complexities, Newton believes Labour's new legislation could prevent her from getting the tenant out. The government is gearing up to introduce a bill in the Commons that will ban landlords from evicting tenants without a reason.
Newton reported to Airbnb that her flat was being sublet without her consent. As a result, the property was removed from the platform. "This property is not active on Airbnb," a spokesman for Airbnb said. "When accommodation providers sign up to list on Booking.com, they must agree to our terms and conditions, verifying that they are legally permitted to rent out their accommodation," a Booking.com spokesman said.
"In the very rare instance that we might be alerted to a concern about a specific property we investigate immediately, just as we are doing in this case, and depending on the outcome of that investigation, can remove them from our platform."
By understanding the rules and regulations surrounding subletting, tenants and landlords can maintain harmonious living arrangements and avoid legal disputes.
