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We waited nine months to move back into our flooded flats. As we were packing it happened again
We waited nine months to move back into our flooded flats. As we were packing it happened again

Wales Online

time4 hours ago

  • Climate
  • Wales Online

We waited nine months to move back into our flooded flats. As we were packing it happened again

We waited nine months to move back into our flooded flats. As we were packing it happened again 'We're all completely broken', said one resident of a set of ground-floor flats which have flooded three times Kim Fjaelberg was getting ready to move back into her home that had been destroyed by flooding in June when another flood occurred (Image: John Myers ) At a block of flats in Bridgend 10 ground-floor properties are in ruins. The carpets and flooring and have been ripped up, kitchen units have been pulled out, and there are no personal belongings left behind. After being flooded out of their homes in September 2024 the residents of these flats were packing up any belongings they did manage to save ready to move back in in mid-June when water poured into the flats once more. Now they are back to square one. ‌ Although devastated none of them are surprised. They have been warning those in authority that they were at risk for years. They say nobody is listening. ‌ Every time it rains they worry about a culvert which sits at the back of the property underneath a railway line. They believe that it has been the cause of the three floods – in 2012, 2024, and 2025 – that have occurred since residents moved in after the flats were built in the mid-2000s. "We've just been left," says 66-year-old Kim Fjaelberg, who has lived at Caer Castell House in Brackla since around 2007. She lived at the flat with her late husband who died in 2008 but Kim says all memories of the flat have now been ruined because of trauma. She just wants out. Since September she has been staying with different friends and is now paying £800 a month for an Airbnb. "I haven't got a home anymore," she says. Article continues below Rhys Woosnam, 43, has lived at Caer Castell House since 2010 and been through all three devastating incidents. He says the repeated flooding has caused him to lose everything. The 10 ground flats have been destroyed by a flood on three occasions (Image: John Myers ) Rhys, who woke up to two to three feet of water in his flat last September, says: "It's an absolutely horrendous situation. We've been raising these concerns for over a decade and feel as though we've been neglected. ‌ "It took me 10 years to get back on my feet after the first flood and then the second one happened. My mum passed away last year and I lost all our family photos. It's just broken us all – especially now a third flood has happened. "I've got very few financial options left apart from bankruptcy. That's the very real next step I need to look at because I'm paying for a property I can't live in. My property isn't worth what it was when I bought it. "I'm just broken really – that's where I think everyone is." ‌ The state of the bathroom floor (Image: John Myers ) One elderly resident, Elaine Munn, had managed to move back in just before the June flood as she had paid for a contractor to carry out the work separately. She had to be rescued by the fire service for the second time in nine months in order to escape her flooded home. He daughter, Kay Evans, said the whole situation is "traumatising". ‌ The cause of the 2012 flood was determined to be debris blocking one of the culverts near the flat. After this flood Rhys and other residents say they tried to engage with Bridgend council and Network Rail but claimed their concerns were "repeatedly ignored". " There was a general feeling that there was an issue with the culvert because it seemed to be running quite high a lot of the time. But nothing was ever done. We tried to get answers from the council and Network Rail but no one ever actioned everything," claims Rbys. Desperate to prove their concerns about the culvert after the devastation of the September flood the ground-floor residents chipped in to pay £1,200 for an independent engineers' assessment which found that the culvert feeding under the Network Rail line is "significantly undersized and incapable of handling the volume of water from the surrounding catchment during periods of heavy rainfall". ‌ Rhys says that this report was passed to Network Rail and the council which was "passed off". Kay Evans in her mum Elaine Munn's flat. Elaine has had to be rescued from Caer Castell House by the fire service on two separate occasions (Image: John Myers ) The distress they understandably experience after waking up to water flooding into their homes, causing them to lose irreplaceable belongings and thousands of pounds, is compounded by the lack of support they allege they have received from relevant authorities. These include Bridgend County Borough Council, Network Rail who own the land where one of the culverts which residents believe is problematic is located, and property managing agents Lambert Smith Hampton. ‌ Lambert Smith Hampton say a review of the most recent flood found that the cause was a culvert at the rear of the property "which is no longer fit for purpose". They added that this area is not managed by them "so the responsibility to find a resolution falls to Bridgend council and Network Rail". Elaine Munn being rescued during the flood in June (Image: Rhys Woosnam ) Bridgend council say the matter is "complicated" due to there being three separate culverts and multiple land owners "all of whom hold different responsibilities". They say they are working with partners and land owners to find a solution and are "hugely sympathetic" to the residents' situation. ‌ Network Rail are yet to respond to our request for a statement on the situation. "It's just complete abandonment from everyone," Rhys says. "We've tried MPs, councillors, Senedd members but all we have been receiving is tokenistic replies to say they are sorry for our situation and that's that." ‌ Caer Castell House in Brackla, Bridgend (Image: John Myers ) Just weeks after the residents were flooded out of Caer Castell House in September homes and businesses in Pontypridd were flooded during Storm Bert in November. Rhys says that the apparent immediate response by those in authority was a "a bit of a slap in the face" for the residents. Deputy first minister Huw Irranca Davies announced the Welsh Government would be funding local councils to provide grants of £1,000 to residents affected by Storm Bert flooding. ‌ "We were left to fend for ourselves," Rhys says. "We were told that funded compensation like that can't be made retrospectively. If I was planning to have a flood I might have asked for it up front but that's not not how it works." The residents have been out of their homes since September 2024 (Image: John Myers ) Rhys also says it took news reports on the flooding in June before the group received a response from the leader of Bridgend council John Spanswick. ‌ "My mental health has suffered," Kim adds. "We've never had anything – we had no compensation in 2012 and we've had no compensation since. We've just been left and now we're going through all of it again." When asked if she would consider moving back to the flat she rents at Caer Castell House Kim says she would not. "If they had sorted the culvert out maybe I would have thought about going back but nothing's been done. I have trauma – every time it rains I'm questioning: 'Am I going to be all right?'" Residents paid for an independent report which found that the culvert at the back of the property was 'inadequate' (Image: John Myers ) ‌ As the property has been flooded before most of the residents did not have contents insurance so any financial loss suffered due to belongings being damaged or destroyed was not covered. Through a service charge agreement the properties have building insurance, which is how the restoration work that none of the residents got to see for themselves due to the June flood was paid for. However this does mean that residents like Rhys are paying £1500 for a service charge on a property they can't live in. "I spoke to the building management firm, Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH), after the June flood and they said they are sending out full demands for service charges and if it's not paid then they will take action," Rhys says. Kim is now on the waiting list for a council house as she is too scared to go back to the flat she rents (Image: John Myers ) ‌ LSH said they have a legal obligation to enforce the service charge and an obligation to maintain the site and the building using the funds accrued from the application of the service charge. Stay informed on Bridgend news by signing up to our newsletter here As well as the worries about how they will pay for the service charge Rhys is also worried that they may still have to pay council tax despite not being in the property. Since the September flood Bridgend council have provided residents with council tax relief though they have not confirmed in writing whether the residents will have to pay double council tax to cover this when they move back in. "They may say that it was proper council tax relief but, from what I've been able to work out from messages and bills, when we return it could double to compensate for the time it's been empty," Rhys says. ‌ Work on the properties had nearly been completed when another flood occurred in June (Image: John Myers ) A spokesman for Bridgend County Borough Council said: 'The council remains hugely sympathetic to all residents who have been affected by incidents of flooding that have occurred at Ty Caer Castell over the last few years. 'For some time now we have been working alongside a range of partners and landowners including Network Rail and Natural Resources Wales to consider suggestions that could potentially improve the overall situation and benefit the Ty Caer Castell site. ‌ 'The situation at Ty Caer Castell is complicated because there are three different culverts, one of which sits directly beneath the main Swansea to London railway line, as well as multiple land owners, all of whom hold different responsibilities. 'While the development was built in accordance with all relevant regulations and planning policies of the time the area has experienced localised flooding on three occasions. 'One of these was due to the culvert beneath the main railway line becoming blocked by fly-tipping and debris and the other two occasions occurred during periods of extremely heavy rainfall which overloaded the local watercourse and caused water to spill over the top. ‌ 'To try and mitigate against this a regular inspection scheme is in place for all of the culverts and the council has successfully applied for grant funding from Welsh Government towards the cost of installing a flood barrier in the form of a bund or embankment which will be installed this summer. 'All agencies and landowners need to consider whether infrastructure improvements could provide mitigation against any future risk. 'To help inform this work we have applied for additional funding to enable a full survey to be carried out which will review catchment and flow patterns within the watercourse. ‌ 'The council's housing service has provided appropriate advice and support for anyone who has been affected by the flooding incidents and who wants to source alternative accommodation on both a short or longer-term basis. 'We are committed towards involving residents within this process and are organising a meeting where we will be able to discuss the situation in further detail with them.' A spokesman for Natural Resources Wales said: "We are aware of the problem at Caer Castell House. It is not linked to main river flooding so Bridgend council is the appropriate risk management authority to lead on the matter. As we do for all flood risk management authorities we will provide advice and support to Bridgend council as and when requested." ‌ A Welsh Government spokesman said: 'Householder support is only considered as part of a wider emergency financial assistance scheme following large-scale emergencies. We continue to work with the risk management authority to determine how we can assist in reducing flood risk to the community.' A spokesman for Lambert Smith Hampton, the building management agents for Caer Castell House, said: "Following the most recent flood a review found that the cause of it was the culvert at the rear of the property, which is no longer fit for purpose. "Unfortunately this area falls outside of the managed area so the responsibility to find a resolution falls to Bridgend council and Network Rail. ‌ "We have agreed with the residents to assist in trying to help resolve this with the responsible parties. Residents of the ground floor advised that their service charge payment should be covered under insurance. "We then proceeded to conduct an investigation with the loss adjuster and were advised this was not the case due to lack of cessation clause in the lease. "As managing agents of the property we have a legal obligation to enforce the service charge and an obligation to maintain the site and the building using the funds accrued from the application of the service charge. ‌ "LSHR are regularly in contact with our client and await a decision on the payability of service charges by those affected by the flood but do not have the authority to make that determination by themselves. "LSHR are committed to providing quality service and assisting residents through all endeavours to the best of our ability. We have maintained constant communication and advised residents of all the information needed and will continue to assist in finding a resolution." Network Rail have been contacted for a statement on this matter. Article continues below

Blocked drains and blood stains: our Airbnb guest cost us £15,000
Blocked drains and blood stains: our Airbnb guest cost us £15,000

Times

time8 hours ago

  • Times

Blocked drains and blood stains: our Airbnb guest cost us £15,000

L ast year my husband and I were planning to visit his family in Australia for just over a month and we decided to rent our home on Airbnb to help cover the cost of the trip. We hired a rental management company called Smarthost to arrange and manage the bookings. The company assured us that all guests would be vetted and that adequate insurance was in place to cover us if our property was damaged. Smarthost accepted a request through Airbnb for a guest to stay in our home for four weeks. When we came home, exhausted after our long journey, we were horrified to find extensive damage. The bathroom in our loft had flooded, causing water to leak over three floors. We also found that the guests had broken lots of items, such as furniture, electric blinds and even the freezer. The guests took a set of keys, which is a huge security risk and has caused me a lot of worry. They also took kitchen equipment including frying pans.

‘Creepy' shower in Airbnb booking has travelers shocked
‘Creepy' shower in Airbnb booking has travelers shocked

New York Post

time14 hours ago

  • New York Post

‘Creepy' shower in Airbnb booking has travelers shocked

I once booked accommodation that had warning notes all over the home, telling me that cameras were watching if I took a book home with me. I thought that was the creepiest it could get when traveling, but apparently not! 'This is the view from the shower' Advertisement A traveler recently took to Reddit to share their own 'creepy' experience when staying in a room they booked online – and this one had people both shocked and laughing hysterically. 'Booked an Airbnb for vacation. This is the view from the shower,' the traveler wrote. A Reddit user shared a story about a 'creepy' experience with an Airbnb on vacation. Lazy_Bear – Along with it, came a picture of the ceiling of a shower, which boasted a lovely view… just not one for the person staying in the actual accommodation! Advertisement The window opens up to what appears to be other windows in the building. 'There is no way to cover it up,' they added. There was 'a picture of the ceiling of a shower, which boasted a lovely view… just not one for the person staying in the actual accommodation!' the traveler wrote. reddit/Ingtar2 'I bet that's where the owner lives' While the traveler says the accommodation was booked via Airbnb, with no other details shared, including the location or the name of the hotel or apartment, it's impossible to confirm if the booking was indeed made via the popular website. Advertisement Start and end your day informed with our newsletters Morning Report and Evening Update: Your source for today's top stories Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters But that didn't matter, because people were quick to chime in with their own thoughts regardless of where it was booked. 'I was confused for a sec because I thought it was just a nice skylight window. Then I took a second look,' one person commented. Advertisement 'I bet that's where the owner lives,' another joked. Others were keen to provide some help. 'Let the shower run on the hottest for 30min before you hop in, is the least destructive idea I have offer,' someone suggested. 'Nah, umbrella perched on top of the shower rail to block the view from above,' another chimed in. It's more common than you think While many agreed the design was definitely a strange one, others shared similar experiences, claiming it's not as unusual as most think. 'Lmaooo! Literally me. I stayed in an apartment just like this in Mexico City and I was so paranoid. I attempted to make a towel roof,' someone shared. 'I had a similar experience in San Francisco but the window overlooked a hallway. I didn't even noticed until I was done,' another added. Others claimed it's unlikely anyone would be able to see through it anyway. Advertisement 'Typically those are extremely tinted and it looks like it is, my old apartment had one like this and it was pretty completely black, they likely don't even know it's a window,' a person claimed. And another person agreed: 'While it's a very odd design choice, I feel like no one would really see anything from that angle. At most they'd see your head and shoulders (which isn't okay either) but everything underneath is probably covered by the curtain. Unless someone is the height of that window/door, I'd wager below clavicle is safe from view. Still, it's terrible layout.' Kidspot reached out to Airbnb, who were unable to confirm if this booking was made via their company.

I bought a house with my best friend. We turned it into an Airbnb and have made more than $60,000 in 3 years.
I bought a house with my best friend. We turned it into an Airbnb and have made more than $60,000 in 3 years.

Business Insider

time17 hours ago

  • Business
  • Business Insider

I bought a house with my best friend. We turned it into an Airbnb and have made more than $60,000 in 3 years.

Selena Lounds wanted to purchase a home but felt unsure about doing it on her own. She and her best friend teamed up to buy a house together in Hudson, New York. They turned the property into a short-term rental on Airbnb, typically charging $300 per night. This as-told-to essay is based on conversations with Selena Lounds, 47, an Airbnb host in Hudson, New York, about 120 miles from New York City. To better afford homeownership, Lounds bought a home with her best friend. The conversations have been edited for length and clarity. I was living in New York City and spending so much money on rent that owning a home didn't feel attainable. During the pandemic, I was stuck in my little apartment and eventually reached a point where I wanted to move. I had friends who had bought a home in upstate New York, and I thought, 'Maybe I could do that too.' But I was also a single woman, and I didn't know how to navigate the process on my own. The anxiety kicked in. I was scared to do it by myself and worried about making the wrong decision. Still, by then, I'd reached a point in my career where I finally had extra money to invest. I had a lot of concerns, though: Did I really want to leave the city? Would I be able to make new friends? Could I actually afford it, and was I ready to shift my life in such a big way? Luckily, a friend of mine, Wade, was looking for an investment property in 2021. We decided to join forces. We wanted an Airbnb-friendly home In early 2022, I was on LinkedIn when I saw a post from Niles Lichtenstein. He was talking about a new venture he was starting: Nestment, a real estate platform meant to help people co-buy homes. I was like, "Holy crap. That's what I'm trying to do." So I reached out. Nestment's biggest selling point was its app. It really helped us make sure we were choosing the right investment property in the right location. Wade and I knew we wanted to live in the Hudson Valley, but there were so many places to choose from. We also knew we wanted a weekend house that we could turn into an Airbnb because even though we had some savings, we couldn't afford to have a house just sitting there empty. In Nestment's app, we could drop in an address and see the potential earnings based on what other Airbnbs in the area were charging per night. It even estimated how much income we could generate annually and how much each home was likely to appreciate over the years. We were also able to add my real estate agent to our homebuying group in the app. Together, we curated a list of homes worth touring, saving us a lot of time. After about 10 months of looking for the right home, Wade and I purchased a 2,100-square-foot home for $565,000. It has three bedrooms and three bathrooms. We decided to treat the purchase like a business, so we opened an LLC and split the cost evenly. We've made thousands renting out the home This is our third summer owning the home. We've now had over 30 Airbnb guests — I'm a superhost. Our rate fluctuates, but our base rate is $300 a night. In 2023, we didn't open the Airbnb for guests until the end of May. At the time, we were working with a property management company that took 25% of our earnings, leaving us with $16,126. In 2024, we earned $35,702.40, and so far, in 2025, we've already earned $9,220. Whatever we earn, we put back into the house. For example, last year, we renovated the basement. We see the home as a long-term investment, especially since it will only continue to appreciate. I love the house. I'm kind of obsessed with it. It's my first child. The home is somewhat out of town, and it feels kind of remote, but there is a Walmart about seven minutes away, so it's the best of both worlds. It sits on almost two acres, and we have a little barn. The back of the property backs up against a field that usually has wild corn or beans growing. I've been gardening, and last year, I planted trees. I'm still working on getting a hot tub up here, too. Hudson is a super trendy area. It's an old town that has had a resurgence in the last 10 years. The downtown is really beautiful, with a lot of boutiques and shops. There are also many wedding venues in the area. There's an Amtrak station in town, which we considered when we were deciding where to buy our house. If we were going to Airbnb the home, we needed it to be easily accessible for people from the city, either New York City or Boston. We set up rules for co-owning the home It's not all roses and glitter when co-owning a home with a friend, but it's mostly good. I'm really proud of what we have done. Wade and I's agreement is that we can use the home for personal use, but we can't live there. We also have an agreement on maintaining the house. If we need to repair something that's under $500, we can do it without talking to one another. But if it requires more money, we need to have a conversation about it. I do most of the Airbnb tasks, like setting up automated messages for guests and checking them in. But we also have a great housekeeper and lawn guy. Having this place is amazing. I feel like I'm truly investing in myself, and so managing the home feels more impactful and special. And going through it with a friend, somebody I trust and know is equally invested, is equally awesome. Co-buying a home made me feel more confident This year, I bought my first home on my own: a four-bedroom, two-bath home with 1,600 square feet on a quarter of an acre. It's a little bit of a fixer-upper. Right now, I am painting it. I live on the other side of the Hudson River, in Saugerties. My home is in the village, and I love my neighborhood. Modern conveniences like coffee shops, bars, and restaurants are at my fingertips. Everything's really walkable. I'm also in a place where I can build a community and make friends. There's something different about telling people you own a home. They're like, "Oh, damn." I love it. From time to time, I still find myself looking at other places and comparing them to mine, thinking, "If I were to do this again" or "The next house would have this or that." For now, I think I've got my hands full with this one. But never say never.

Airbnb, Inc. (ABNB) Declines More Than Market: Some Information for Investors
Airbnb, Inc. (ABNB) Declines More Than Market: Some Information for Investors

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Business
  • Yahoo

Airbnb, Inc. (ABNB) Declines More Than Market: Some Information for Investors

Airbnb, Inc. (ABNB) closed at $135.34 in the latest trading session, marking a -1.21% move from the prior day. The stock's change was less than the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.33%. On the other hand, the Dow registered a loss of 0.63%, and the technology-centric Nasdaq decreased by 0.22%. The stock of company has fallen by 1.3% in the past month, lagging the Consumer Discretionary sector's gain of 4.98% and the S&P 500's gain of 4.07%. Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Airbnb, Inc. in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company is forecasted to report an EPS of $0.92, showcasing a 6.98% upward movement from the corresponding quarter of the prior year. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $3.02 billion, up 9.98% from the year-ago period. For the annual period, the Zacks Consensus Estimates anticipate earnings of $4.18 per share and a revenue of $12.02 billion, signifying shifts of +1.7% and +8.29%, respectively, from the last year. Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for Airbnb, Inc. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook. Our research suggests that these changes in estimates have a direct relationship with upcoming stock price performance. To capitalize on this, we've crafted the Zacks Rank, a unique model that incorporates these estimate changes and offers a practical rating system. The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, there's been no change in the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. Airbnb, Inc. is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). In terms of valuation, Airbnb, Inc. is presently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 32.81. This expresses a premium compared to the average Forward P/E of 22.17 of its industry. It's also important to note that ABNB currently trades at a PEG ratio of 2.57. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. As of the close of trade yesterday, the Leisure and Recreation Services industry held an average PEG ratio of 2.03. The Leisure and Recreation Services industry is part of the Consumer Discretionary sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 71, which puts it in the top 29% of all 250+ industries. The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1. Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Airbnb, Inc. (ABNB) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research

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