'Illegal' short-term lets creating 'party venues'

Residents in a Birmingham city centre apartment complex say their homes are being turned into "party venues" through alleged illegal short-term lets, bringing noise, drug use and anti-social behaviour into the development.

The BBC has been shown booking websites where numerous flats in and around the B5 Central development advertise short-term stays - listings which appear to breach lease agreements prohibiting such lets.

People living at the complex, near Hope Street, say the scale of the listings has contributed to a steady flow of short-term guests.

The property management company says they are aware of the concerns and have taken enforcement action, including legal proceedings in one case.

Jasmine Rana, who has lived at Cadbury House within the development for four years, said she moved in expecting a quiet community of families and professionals.

"I was told we were creating communities with lots of families and professionals… a new dream," she said.

But she told the BBC that, within a couple of years, residents began to notice unusual activity in some flats.

"It started off low key but then progressed to late-night parties, drug taking… we've had incidents involving police raids linked to drug trafficking and prostitution," she said.

Rana said the presence of short-term guests had made residents worried, particularly families and single women.

"We've got young families, teenagers. The amount of anxiety it caused… you'd see a constant flow of people coming in and out," she said.

She added that some homeowners have already chosen to leave the development.

"A number of residents… have up and gone because they just can't deal with the levels of anxiety," she said.

The BBC found multiple properties being advertised across a range of booking platforms, with listings offering short stays in blocks where leasehold covenants typically restrict or prohibit such use.

In the UK, many apartment developments are sold on long leasehold agreements that include covenants restricting short-term lets.

These rules often explicitly ban holiday-style rentals or require prior consent from the freeholder or management company.

At B5 Central, residents said those rules were not being effectively enforced.

They pointed to a pattern of arrivals - different visitors every few days, keypad entry systems and guests asking for directions to access codes - as evidence of ongoing short-let use.

"If it was normal renting, you'd see the same people regularly," Rana said. "But it's constantly changing."

Another resident, Adrian Lu, who lives on the ground floor, described frequent disruption.

"We can see different people, strange people going in and going out," he said.

Lu said there had been damage to communal areas and reports of drug use in corridors.

"We can smell cannabis and different drugs… when people live here, we treat it as a home, but they treat it as a stopover," he said.

He also described feeling unsafe after reports of an attempted break-in.

"I heard from neighbours that a stranger tried to open a door… we reported it to police, but it makes you feel a bit dangerous," he said.

Lu added that noise from late-night gatherings had affected residents' wellbeing.

"My girlfriend cannot sleep well… you expect a peaceful night, but when people are having parties, it's another story," he said.

The property management company, Ground Solutions UK, said they have investigated complaints and were working with the developer to address the issue.

"We have actively investigated complaints received from residents and have worked closely with the developer BDW Trading… to address the issues raised," a spokesperson said.

"In one case… legal action has been commenced against the owner of a neighbouring property that is being operated as a short-term let."

"We continue to liaise with residents and… the police and local authorities."

West Midlands Police said their officers were carrying out enforcement activity in response to concerns.

Extra patrols and operations with specific targets were being carried out, a spokesperson added.

"This includes a warrant where safeguarding checks were carried out following suspicions of an address being used as a location for indoor sex work," they added.

Despite the action described by the management company, residents claimed enforcement had not been effective.

"There's a lot of 'we're dealing with this'… but it feels like passing the buck," Rana said.

"If you put a covenant in place and you can't enforce it, what's the point?"

Lu added: "We are still waiting for action."

Birmingham has seen a rapid increase in city-centre apartment developments in recent years, as demand for urban living grows.

But residents at B5 Central warned that without stronger oversight, such developments risked being undermined by misuse of properties.

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