'Girls Next Door' Star Holly Madison Lists Her 'Haunted' Tudor Cottage as $9,500-a-Month Rental

Our take

While this story is set firmly in Los Angeles, it carries a useful lesson for South African landlords and homeowners who find themselves emotionally attached to a property but unable to justify holding it vacant. Madison's decision to rent rather than sell is a practical middle ground that many SA property owners overlook — particularly those who've relocated for family or lifestyle reasons but aren't ready to exit the market permanently. In the South African context, this mirrors the growing trend of semigration, where homeowners moving from Johannesburg to the Western Cape, for example, choose to let their original home rather than sell into a soft market. For SA landlords, the key takeaway is that a well-maintained, characterful home — even one with quirky features — can command a premium rental if marketed correctly. Tenants seeking unique, personality-rich homes are a real segment of the market, particularly in suburbs like Westcliff, Oranjezicht, or Dunkeld. The story also reinforces that rental pricing should reflect lifestyle value, not just square meterage.