Residents in a block of posh London flats claim unscrupulous estate agents and property managers have turned their building into an Airbnb where rubbish is dumped in hallways and rough sleepers break into flats. Homeowners in Dahlia House, Paddington, said they've installed security cameras just to feel safe and avoid communal areas at all costs.

A number of residents spoke to the BBC's Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) on the condition of anonymity. They claim they've witnessed rubbish bags pile up in communal areas, carpets and lifts dirtied by visitors, and a build-up of animal faeces on walkways, which they blamed on short-term renters.

They have also complained about tenants blaring music into the early hours of the morning and becoming aggressive when asked to stop. One homeowner, who had to move bedrooms because of the noise coming from next door, said: "We have tried to talk to them in a civilised manner but they don't care."

Another homeowner claimed: "There are two hotels behind Padding Gardens. We don't need any more." He added: "When I bought here I thought I was living in a civilised place but it's the exact opposite. People here are uncivilised."

Residents claim many flats in Dahlia House have been operating as a de-facto Airbnb since 2021, with many allegedly being used by foreign nationals seeking medical attention in the UK. When the LDRS visited late last month, we spoke to a number of occupiers who had arrived from Qatar either on holiday or coming to see doctors.

All of them admitted to staying no longer than a month. It is permissible to let an apartment on a short-term lease of 90 days per year without requiring planning permission, however, Westminster City Council believes many of these lets exceed this cap. Real estate agent AMZ, which advertised flats, has denied allegations it is running short-term lets in Dahlia House.

Bahrain-based property company Meritas Holdings, which owns a number of flats managed by AMZ in Dahlia House, has denied entering into, or knowing about, any short-term arrangements. It said it would look into the apartments the LDRS visited and will deal with any infringements accordingly.

Meritas Holdings said: "We have been contacted by Westminster City Council regarding short-term tenancies and we are in communication with them and have responded that we do not have such arrangements. I confirm that no enforcement notices have been issued by the local planning authority as a result to our responses to the planning contravention notices."

He added: "AMZ have a number of units leased from us leased on long term tenancies and our agreements preclude other arrangements".

According to the Land Registry, Paddington Company Two holds a head lease for the building, allowing it to sublet its 52 flats. Analysis of Companies House records show the beneficial owners of the Guernsey-based company either work for a Bahrain-based bank and Meritas Holdings. The freeholder, Amwaj Property Limited, is also based in Bahrain. These companies have been contacted for comment and did not respond.

'We feel like cash cows'

Residents said they want these companies to stop what they described as the constant flow of visitors. One resident said ball games in the courtyard had to be banned because visitors were dirtying the lifts when re-entering the building.

They said the property manager, Savills, had to erect signs in Arabic to tell people to dump their rubbish in the waste area. When the LDTS visited, we saw signs understood to be in Arabic warning against smoking in the stairwells.

A homeowner said: "How they treat communal areas, it just shows a disregard for people in the building." Others accused Savills of raising their service charge without a proper explanation.

One resident said her service charge jumped by £2,000 in just two years while another told the LDRS his had increased by more than 50 per cent in the same period. Another flat owner said residents felt like "cash cows".

He said: "We pay what we pay in service charge but we don't feel we have any say in how the money is spent. We are curious to know where our money is going".

Many residents told the LDRS repairs can take weeks to complete and communal areas aren't properly maintained or cleaned. One homeowner said he waited seven weeks in the middle of winter for his hot water to be restored.

Another said paying the charge was like forking out £100 for a restaurant bill but not getting to see the receipt. A third said: "The issue is my family has property around this area and the service charges aren't that dissimilar but the issue is that we don't feel we know what we are getting for it."

Savills said it is looking into the issues raised by residents and stated that the service charge is budgeted in line with the growing needs of the properties, which is outlined and detailed to leaseholders in a Budget Report that is issued annually.

But residents aren't convinced and say they feel ignored by the freeholder and Paddington Company Two. Residents said the companies won't engage with them and claim they can't form a residents-led company to manage the building without their sign-off

They also accused RPS, a consultancy which provides guidance for commercial property owners and occupiers believed to be hired by a property owner, of dismissing their concerns. RPS's Mark Walton said he would not comment on the allegations without the consent of his client, who he did not name, despite appeals by the LDRS.

He said his client was aware of requests for comment made by the LDRS and would respond if they wanted to. Mr Walton said his client had also complied with Westminster City Council's request for information regarding the properties at Dahlia House and is waiting to hear from the council.

But residents are fed up and claim the constant flow of unknown faces has put security guards under pressure and unable to track who is coming in and out of the building. They said access to communal areas was "free for all" for anyone coming off the street before security fobs were introduced. The LDRS understands a homeless woman broke into a flat in September 2022.

"People just come in," one homeowner said, looking visibly irritated. Another said: "People who visit don't take care of the place. It's just been turned into a hotel. Buying this place was the worst mistake I have ever made".

A third added: "It's quite frustrating. It's our home but it feels very unsafe. This was our first property purchase. It's a long term investment."

'The biggest example of planning abuse we've seen'

A statement from Dahlia House Residents' Association read: "Many of us thought we were buying our 'forever home' only to discover that Paddington Gardens essentially operates as a large-scale Airbnb and resembles a hotel with guests checking in and out continuously throughout the day. Due to the transient nature of short-term residents – most of whom stay for a few days to weeks – security staff fail to recognise individuals residing in the apartments, eventually leading to several security breaches and break-ins."

Westminster City councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, cabinet member for city management and air quality, said the number of short-term lets in Dahlia House was "huge". He said: "This appears to be the biggest planning abuse of planning regulations we have seen so far in terms of the number of flats being used as short-term lets.

"This is an unacceptable situation which is taking away so many flats from residents who want to live long-term in the borough. It is a massive problem." He said there are currently 10,000 properties in Westminster being used as short-term lets, which he added is pushing up rental prices.

He added it is perfectly legal to seek paid-for medical assistance in the UK but believes visitors are using a network of unscrupulous estate agents to find accommodation. It comes as the local Labour group said enforcement officers had issued 18 Planning Contravention Notices (PCNs) on Dahlia House owners, which requires owners to provide information about their properties to the council.

The group believes 55 flats out of 80 are being used as short-term lets and said officers are investigating claims parking spaces are being rented out for cash without planning permission. A Westminster City spokesperson confirmed PCN were sent to the owners of Dahlia House, adding they had 21 days to respond. They said responses have been received from one of the interested parties.

The spokesperson added: "Our visits to the property confirm that a lot of the flats are being used by persons from other countries (predominantly middle eastern countries) who are seeking medical treatment in London. Often the persons staying in the flats seeking the medical treatment are not sure how long they will be residing in the flat for, as it is dependent on the duration of the treatment being received.

"Many of these medical lets do not constitute short-lets as the person/s residing in the property often stay in excess of 90 nights which takes it outside of the definition of a short-term let. We are though aware of the intricacies involved in paying for the accommodation and the unscrupulous agents involved in this process, but this unfortunately does not constitute a breach of planning control per se."

The spokesperson said investigations into whether these lets breach relevant legislation is a priority for their enforcement team.

Meanwhile, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain confirmed its citizens seek medical treatment in the UK and categorically deny any involvement in facilitating short-term rentals at Dahlia House or in any similar establishment. A spokesperson said the embassy does not directly refer patients to St Mary's Hospital, which is close to Dahlia House, but acknowledges that individuals may independently seek urgent care there.

The spokesperson said these visits are typically brief and for emergency purposes only. They said: "The Embassy of Bahrain can confirm that the Government of Bahrain does sponsor medical treatment for some of its citizens in the UK, when specialised care is not available in Bahrain. On the rare occasion when an overnight or extended stay is required, a living expense allowance, including accommodation, is provided, through a secure and traceable method, such as a direct bank transfer or a cheque.

"It is almost always up to individuals to select, book and pay for their hotel or housing in the UK on their own." The Qatar Embassy in London has also been contacted.

A Savills spokesperson said: "As the property manager responsible for the common parts at Dahlia House, Paddington Gardens, Savills is looking into the issues raised around the property management at the site as a priority consistent with our objective of ensuring that a good level of service and appropriate staffing is in place at the scheme. The service charge is budgeted in line with the growing needs of the properties, which is outlined and detailed to leaseholders in a Budget Report that is issued annually."