Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by Guardian Property. Read the original article for full details.

Britain’s Most Expensive House Remains Empty as Homeless Man Lives on Porch

2-8A Rutland Gate in Knightsbridge, London, was sold in 2020 for £210 million, making it Britain’s most expensive house at the time. Despite its 45 rooms, four lifts, indoor pool, and 116 windows, the property has remained empty for years, with its only resident being a homeless man who has lived on the porch for three years.

The property, described as more of a palace than a house, features jewel-encrusted bathroom suites and gold wastepaper bins. Its 24 marble bathrooms were once decorated with semi-precious stones. The house was originally a row of terrace houses before being combined in the early 1980s by billionaire Rafik Hariri, who later became the prime minister of Lebanon. After Hariri’s assassination in 2005, the property was given to Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. In 2015, the contents of the house, including Murano glass chandeliers and Lalique crystal perfume bottles, were auctioned.

The property was purchased through a company registered in the British Virgin Islands. Since the record-breaking sale in 2020, 2-8A Rutland Gate has remained unoccupied.

For letting agents and inventory clerks, the prolonged vacancy of such a high-value property highlights ongoing issues in the UK property market, including the contrast between luxury real estate and the need for secure housing. The presence of a homeless man living on the porch of an empty mansion underscores the challenges faced by those seeking accommodation in London.