A UK Airbnb host who rented out his council flat has been evicted from the property and lost £ 100,000 ( $ 123,000 ) in unlawful profits . Toby Harman used a fake listing on Airbnb to rent out his central photography studio , doing over 300 jobs on the site since 2013 . Harman was caught out by anti - fraud software , which linked the listing to him . It is illegal for prospective tenants to sublet . Airbnb said it has removed the property listing , adding it supports regulation on short - term letting in London . There are around 80,000 Airbnb tenants in London , despite most tenancy agreements precluding sublets .
A UK Airbnb host who rented out his council flat has been evicted from the property and fined £100,000 ($123,000) in unlawful profits. Toby Harman used a fake identity on Airbnb to rent out his central London studio, receiving over 300 reviews on the site since 2013. Harman was caught out by anti-fraud software, which linked the listing to him. It is illegal for council tenants to sublet. Airbnb said it has removed the property listing, adding it supports regulation on short-term letting in London. There are around 80,000 Airbnb listings in London, despite most tenancy agreements precluding sublets.