A local realtor is using her own nightmare squatting situation in the Hollywood Hills to warn others about steps they can take to keep their properties secure.
Emily Randall Smith told KTLA’s Lauren Lyster that she and her husband, both real estate agents representing the home’s seller, went out of town for two weeks over the holidays. When they returned, they discovered a man had rented out the 9,000-square-foot home to four or five people, at least one of whom was creating content for OnlyFans.
Smith said when she came to the home, the lockbox had been cut off so they couldn’t get in, and then they saw a man inside. They called police.
She later spoke with a woman who had been staying there, and showed Smith a fake lease agreement she apparently had been issued.
The model was paying $2,000 per month and creating content for OnlyFans, a subscription website that often features pornographic content.
Police helped remove trespassers remaining at the house and return control to the realtors, but by then, the damage had been done.
“The house was trashed. There was dog poop and pee all over the house … Weed smells, alcohol, all that stuff. They were partying,” Smith told Lyster.
As of Monday, no one is believed to have been arrested in connection with the squatting.
Smith encouraged others to install “no trespassing” signs on vacant properties and make friends with neighbors who can report suspicious activity.