£200,000 a month
That’s the going rate to rent Harry and Meghan’s villa, says neighbour known as estate agent to the stars
IT IS known for its ‘ultra exclusivity’, sweeping views over Los Angeles’ dramatic skyline and residents who value privacy above all else.
That was until this week when it emerged Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have moved into a £14.5million Tuscan-style villa in the gated community of Beverly Ridge Estates in Beverly Hills.
Last night neighbour Steve Frankel, who owns a house a stone’sthrow from the lavish 22-acre compound where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex celebrated baby Archie’s first birthday last Wednesday, told The Mail on Sunday the enclave’s peace and quiet has been shattered by the new arrivals.
‘We’ve had helicopters over the house since 5.30am. If this goes on for much longer Harry and Meghan may have some angry neighbours,’ Frankel, an estate agent, said. ‘We’re hoping the paparazzi will give up after a few days.’
It is unclear whether Harry and Meghan are paying rent or are guests of the house’s owner, Hollywood tycoon Tyler Perry, 50, who is reportedly worth £500million.
Frankel, who is known as the ‘realtor to the stars’, says Perry’s 24,545 square foot, eight-bedroom home is worth £50million.
He said: ‘I imagine Tyler is letting Meghan and Harry stay there as his guests because I’d think it’s outside their price range. A property like that would fetch $250,000 [£201,500] a month in rent.
‘There are no homes above or overlooking it. There’s a guarded gate to the community and then Tyler’s estate has a gate of its own at the start of the long driveway leading up to his home. It’s so private I didn’t even know that Harry and Meghan had moved in until the helicopters started to arrive.’
Perry, who made his fortune creating TV shows and movies specifically aimed at black audiences – including his most famous creation, Madea, a larger-than-life mother-figure he plays in drag – is rarely at his LA home, preferring to live in his native Atlanta, Georgia where he owns a movie studio.
Another neighbour in Beverly Ridge, who declined to be named, added: ‘This place is known for its ultra-exclusivity. People who live here are very rich but very private. This attention is not welcome.’
A source who works in finance for a Hollywood studio told The Mail on Sunday that the Sussexes’ new lifestyle could cost them £20million a year, adding: ‘If you have a house that size, you have to have the servants that come with it. Tyler has a small army of staff including gardeners, maids, maintenance personnel. Then there’s the private chef and nanny. You have to wonder how Meghan and Harry intend to pay for it all?’
Yesterday helicopters continued to circle above the property, and it was reported that drones had been spotted in the area.
Harry and Meghan are thought to have met Perry through mutual friend Oprah Winfrey. The Prince has recorded a show about mental health with Winfrey for Apple+ TV which airs later this year.