Playboy mansion now rotting and derelict after Hugh Hefner’s death | Photos

The famous party palace has been left to rot since the Playboy legend’s death in 2017. Now the mansion’s new owner is fixing the mess.

Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion has been left to rot and stripped by looters since his death in 2017.

The Playboy magazine founder sold the Los Angeles mansion before he died but was allowed to continue living there until his death at the age of 91.

Aerial photos reveal an extensive construction project is underway at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles, California. Picture: SplashNews.com

The famous party palace is undergoing major renovations as its new owner tries to get it back into a liveable state.

It was sold for $100 million in 2016 under the condition that the Playboy founder could continue to rent it for life.

The pool where Hef held his wild parties has been drained, the grounds have been torn up, and the mansion is clad with scaffolding.

Builders are working to restore the mansion that was left to decay. Picture: SplashNews.com

Sources have claimed looters raided the mansion and stripped it bare after Hefner died – with even pieces of the masonry being chipped away for souvenirs.

“The bedrooms – even Hef’s – were stripped of things like sex toys, gold-plated statues, used sheets and lingerie,” a source told US Magazine Globe.

“Valuable art was snatched from the walls – with imprints of the frames still visible.”

The patio furniture was stolen and pieces of rock taken from the landscaping in the mansion’s famous grotto.

The swimming pool at the Playboy Mansion where Hollywood's elite cavorted with scantily-clad ‘bunnies’. Picture: Frederic Brown/AFP

However, Hugh’s gaming room was spared as fixtures such as pinball machines were too large to be carried away by looters.

Its new owner, billionaire Daren Metropoulos, has agreed to restore the house in its “original grandeur” as some city officials rallied to have it designated a historic landmark.

In an agreement, it was said the 1300sq m, 29-room mansion was in need of “substantial renovations and repairs following a long period of deferred maintenance”.

Workers in face masks are seen outside the mansion. Picture: SplashNews.com

Mr Metropoulos had originally considered bulldozing the house, but instead decided to renovate the famous estate.

The main structure is still standing but everything around it looks like it has been turned upside down.

All around the house the grounds have ripped up and earth movers can be seen working to clear the site.

The front lawn has now been turned into a car park, while the grotto appears to still be in disrepair.

The pool sits empty and the roof of the house appears to be being completely rebuilt.

After taking ownership, Mr Metropoulos said: “I’m extremely passionate about its architecture and look forward to this momentous opportunity to transform one of the finest estates in the country.

“As Mr Hefner was aware, I plan to meticulously refurbish the property with the highest quality and standards in mind.”

The famous mansion had 29 rooms. Picture: AFP/Frederic Brown

Over the years, the home became famous for lavish, wild parties and Playboy Bunnies.

A-list celebrities such as Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty, Leonardo DiCaprio and Eminem all visited Hefner’s home.

The Holmby Hills mansion was also home to Hefner’s family, including his two sons Cooper and Marston, whom he had with his second wife Kimberley Conrad.

According to the Daily Mail, Cooper and Marston grew up in the home with a framed photo of their mother’s nude centrefold – which they said was “weird”.

Hefner lived in the mansion until he died at the age of 91. Picture: AFP/Gabriel Bouys

‘LIKE AN OLD PEOPLE’S HOME’

Hefner’s Playboy bunnies were also known to live in the mansion and were subject to mandatory 9pm curfews and film nights three times a week where Hefner’s favourite 1950s flicks would be played.

In 2011, a health and safety probe was launched after more than 120 guests became ill after visiting the pool.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health found the whirlpools contained the bacteria responsible for causing Legionnaire’s disease.

Hefner bought the mansion for $1 million in 1971.

Hugh Hefner and his third wife Crystal. Charley Gallay/Getty Images

Playmates had previously revealed the mansion’s interior had been in dire need of updates for years.

In 2015, Carla Howe told The Sun on Sunday the house had a vibe like an “old people’s home”.

She said: “He almost never leaves home and refuses to change anything in the mansion, so the whole place feels like it’s stuck in the 1980s.”

This article originally appeared in The Sun and has been reproduced with permission