Nicholas Jarzabek, accused of illegally subletting a £1.4 million home in Los Angeles owned by Netflix executive Nikeeta Sriram, allegedly earned nearly £173,000 through unauthorised Airbnb rentals.
Sriram discovered the scam when police found Airbnb guests at her property after an alarm was triggered in December, reported The Times.
Jarzabek had appeared trustworthy, driving a Tesla, wearing a Rolex, and presenting bank statements showing £787,400. He paid rent on time and promised to protect the home.
Court records reveal Jarzabek's history of similar schemes, including being barred from short-term listings in Beverly Hills and facing a previous eviction in Los Angeles.
Sriram, 31, noticed Jarzabek applied for the rental twice, three months apart. “I didn’t think anything of it at the time,” she told the Los Angeles Times. “But it’s obviously suspicious in hindsight.”
Jarzabek listed the property on Airbnb for £541 per night for the main house and £391 for the separate flat, using a nearby motel's address. He received over 100 guest reviews.
Sriram filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, describing Jarzabek as a "nightmare" tenant. Court records show he earned £170,000 from the illegal sublets over 16 months. Sriram was awarded £15,615 in damages and a writ of possession for eviction on April 29, but the LA County Sheriff’s Department is delayed due to a pandemic backlog.
Jarzabek acknowledged a past lawsuit for listing short-term rentals in Beverly Hills without proper licenses and plans to sue Sriram, claiming she initiated eviction when he refused to leave early.
“I am not a nightmare tenant. I have never been a nightmare tenant,” Jarzabek told The Times. He claimed he had permission to sublet, but the lease reviewed by The Times prohibited it.
Jarzabek moved to Margate, Kent, last year to record a new album. A YouTube video shows him performing at Justines, a live music venue in Margate, on April 4.
Bob Blackman MP speaks during the event