Rihanna’s houses: from a humble Barbados bungalow to her secret London mansion

With a new album release anticipated by the end of 2023 and with her second child on the way, Rihanna has come a long way from her modest childhood in Barbados. With an impressive career as a chart-topping musician and entrepreneur spanning more than 17 years, the star has spent her riches wisely, buying, renting and flipping numerous properties over the years. Click to scroll on and let’s retrace Rihanna’s road to fame and step inside the spectacular houses she’s stayed in along the way…

Just how rich is RiRi? The Barbadian bad girl currently sits at number 21 in Forbes‘ ranking of America’s richest self-made women, thanks to her success as a pop star and as the founder and owner of her fashion house, Fenty. The ranking puts her fortune at $1.4 billion (£1.2bn), but at 35 years of age, she is officially America’s youngest self-made woman on the list. Kim Kardashian, 42, is at number 16 with a net worth of $1.8 billion (£1.5bn) thanks to her shapewear and beauty business.

This remarkable achievement is just another highlight in what has been a truly unforgettable couple of years for Rihanna, and according to Forbes, she also boasts the title of the world’s richest female musician. In her personal life, the star and her partner, rapper ASAP Rocky, welcomed their first child together, a son, in May of 2022, with another on the way, as revealed by her noticeable bump during her 2023 Super Bowl halftime show performance!

RiRi is guarded about her private life, but what we know for sure, however, is that the singer owns luxurious properties in Los Angeles and a beach home in her native Barbados. However, the Fenty founder wasn’t born into such luxury…

A world away from the glitz and glamour that surrounds her today, Robyn Rihanna Fenty was born on 20 February 1988. Born and raised in the parish of Saint Michael on the Caribbean island of Barbados, she is the eldest of three siblings. The daughter of Monica and Ronald Fenty, the star has spoken about her father’s substance abuse issues during her childhood and her parent’s subsequent divorce when she was 14 years old, which led her to find solace in music at a young age.

Rihanna and her family lived in this humble bungalow until she was 16 years old. Located on an unassuming street on the outskirts of Bridgetown in Barbados, the house is something of a sightseeing hotspot these days, with some of Rihanna’s biggest fans making a pilgrimage to the street. Back in 2012, the star returned to Saint Michael to give Oprah a tour of her formative home for the Oprah Winfrey Network.

The celebrity’s childhood home features a living room and a small blue kitchen where Rihanna learnt to cook, helping her mother to whip up meals for the family. Located on Westbury New Road, which has since been renamed Rihanna Drive in her honour, she is said to visit her hometown a few times a year.

Growing up, music was a constant for Rihanna, and at the age of 15, she started singing regularly with two school friends. They soon scored an audition with record producer Evan Rogers, who was holidaying on the island with his Barbadian wife. He expressed interest in helping her forge a solo career, and soon the young star-to-be was travelling between the US and Barbados to work on a demo.

At 16, the budding star was signed by Jay-Z, who at the time was CEO of Def Jam Recordings. In May 2005, Rihanna released her first debut single, ‘Pon de Replay’, and her first album, Music of the Sun. In 2006, she had her first number one hit with ‘SOS’, which was to set the tone for the rest of her music career. With nine Grammy Awards under her belt, Rihanna has reportedly sold more than 250 million records to date.

Aside from her music career, she is also a bona fide businesswoman. In 2014, she was named the creative director for Puma and went on to design the Fenty x Puma collection. She expanded the line further by launching Fenty Beauty in 2017 and her Savage x Fenty intimates line in 2018, which have both been huge successes. In February 2021, the lingerie line secured $115 million (£92m) in Series B funding led by L Catterton’s Growth Fund on the same day that she closed her clothing brand Fenty Maison.

Going back to the early days of her success, Rihanna jumped on the real estate ladder in 2009 with this home in the Beverly Hills Post Office area of Los Angeles – a known celebrity property hotspot. It was the same year that she released her fourth studio album Rated R, which went on to achieve double platinum status in the US. She paid $6.9 million (£5.5m) for the glamorous mansion, situated minutes away from the famous Rodeo Drive, behind private gates.

Having since been given a bespoke makeover, the 8,500-square-foot home boasts a huge main living room with a double-sided fireplace and floor-to-ceiling glazing that opens up onto a luxurious outdoor lounge that’s perfect for alfresco entertaining.

With seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms, the home has a sumptuous master suite with a one-of-a-kind brass and concrete fireplace and two huge celebrity-worthy walk-in wardrobes, as well as an amazing powder room. All of the main living spaces have access to the garden, which features a heated saltwater pool, Jacuzzi, and grapevine-wrapped pergola.

Rihanna sold the grand home for $5 million (£4m) two years later, making a substantial loss. The home was plagued with problems, including major flooding issues, leading the star to file a lawsuit against the buyer’s agent and other involved parties, so she must have been glad to move on from the property.

With her career skyrocketing after winning her fifth Grammy Award for her single ‘All of the Lights’, Rihanna splashed out on this luxurious home in the Los Angeles neighbourhood of Pacific Palisades for $12 million (£9.6m) in 2012. Encompassing 11,000 square feet, it’s definitely a mansion worthy of a megastar.

Built in 2009, the hilltop estate boasts seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms. Inside, a towering two-storey entryway leads through to the formal living room, featuring a fireplace and picture windows that overlook the garden. Also on this level is a vast dining area with a wine refrigerator – perfect for A-list parties.

The plush master bedroom includes a double-sided fireplace and a sitting area, while retractable glazed doors lead out onto the terrace. In the plush ensuite bathroom, you’ll find a rainforest shower, a Jacuzzi and a walk-in wardrobe complete with a vanity.

The rooftop sundeck is the home’s main attraction, featuring a large swimming pool with an adjoining spa and waterfall, as well as a covered outdoor kitchen area with a wet bar with an alfresco dining zone. Following multiple break-ins, the star packed up and rented out the home at a cost of $65,000 (£52k) a month and eventually sold it on for $11.2 million (£9m) a few years later in 2016.

In 2013, after putting the Pacific Palisades estate on the rental market, Rihanna relocated to the East Coast and moved into this glamorous apartment in lower Manhattan’s Chinatown. The star leased the apartment for a reported $39,000 (£31.2k) per month, forking out a huge amount in rent until she finally left the Big Apple in 2017.

With 4,600 square feet of space spread across the top two floors of the 11-storey building, the penthouse has four bedrooms and three bathrooms. While Rihanna stayed there, the plush property was owned by celebrity fashion photographer Antoine Verglas. Situated on the prestigious penthouse’s upper floor, the living room, dining room and entertaining spaces feature 13-foot ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows. Elsewhere, there’s also a chef’s kitchen, bar, and a powder room.

Accessed by a floating staircase, the lower floor is home to three guest bedrooms and the corner master suite, which features breathtaking views of the Empire State Building, a huge walk-in wardrobe, and a bathroom with a frameless glass shower.

The property’s pièce de résistance is without doubt the 2,400-square-foot wraparound terrace on the top floor. Offering a relaxed seating area that’s ideal for entertaining, it offers panoramic views of the city’s glittering skyline.

In October 2013, Rihanna also decided to snap up a property in her native Barbados. A far cry from her modest childhood home, she bought an opulent villa in the One Sandy Lane resort. Returning to the island for Christmas the year before, the star rented out the mansion, before deciding she loved it so much she was willing to pay $22 million (£17.6m) to call it home.

One of eight properties on the lavish complex, the home has five ensuite bedrooms, each with their own private terrace and dressing room. The ultimate in luxury, the A-list holiday home features a grand entrance with a spiral staircase, complete with intricate, handmade balustrades, that leads up to the bedrooms. That’s the way to make an entrance!

Known as the most luxurious accommodation on the island, the property is conveniently located just along the beach from the five-star Sandy Lane resort, which Rihanna is also said to be a fan of. We can’t imagine a more luxurious spot for the star to unwind from her hectic schedule.

With a chauffeur, 24-hour concierge, gardener and private chef on hand to help, the home is the perfect pad for Rihanna to kick back, relax and spend some quality time with her family. From the manicured gardens to the swimming pool and the state-of-the-art gym, what more could the star need?

In June 2014, RiRi decided to return to the West Coast and began renting out new digs in Los Angeles for $60,000 (£48k) a month. The imposing 12,000-square-foot house, known locally as ‘The Fortress’, has a tough steel-and-concrete façade and plenty of security features, making it the perfect ultra-safe hideout for the star.

Truly built like a fortress, the interior of the home is just as imposing as the exterior. With 60-foot-high ceilings and towering glass windows, the entryway leads through to an array of cavernous living rooms that have been finished in stone, concrete and steel.

The grand master suite not only features opulent dual ensuite bathrooms but also an incredible panic room hidden behind a bulletproof door that slides down from the ceiling. Individual rooms within the seven-bed home also require a security fob to gain entry, ensuring residents are safe and protected at all times.

If all this wasn’t enough, the Bauhaus-style home, which was built in 1994, also features a whole host of luxury amenities including a chef’s kitchen, a two-bedroom guesthouse, a large movie theatre and a gym. It’s not clear how long the star stayed here for, but in 2014, she also snapped up a condo in a super-secure Los Angeles skyscraper.

In 2017, Rihanna purchased this home in the Hollywood Hills for $6.8 million (£5.4m). The property sits on a nearly half-acre parcel behind a towering wall of foliage and secure entry gates. It’s located high above the popular Sunset Strip, ensuring the star had complete privacy. The stucco and terracotta-roofed structure was built on spec and reportedly completed in 2015.

Inside, the home spans 7,100 square feet and includes a poolside guesthouse and two-car garage. The glamorous property boasts high ceilings, arched doorways, and steel-framed windows and doors, while the large formal living room with its rustic tiled fireplace is big enough to accommodate a grand piano.

The three-storey main house is home to three ensuite bedrooms, plus a sprawling master suite with a city-view sitting room, fireplace, and luxurious private bathroom. Imagine waking up to those picturesque views! Unfortunately, it wasn’t all peace and quiet for the Diamonds singer. Once again plagued by disaster, the home was breached by an intruder who stayed in the home for 12 hours when Rihanna wasn’t in residence. Consequently, in 2018, she put the home on the market for $7.5 million (£6m).

Outside, an infinity-edge swimming pool and spa sit between the main house and guesthouse, which the star was said to use as a fitness centre. After struggling to sell initially, Rihanna decided to rent out the pad for $35,000 (£28k) a month instead, before ultimately selling to an unnamed buyer in an off-market deal for just under $6.6 million (£5.3m) in August 2022, according to Dirt.

Also in 2017, the popstar shelled out $2.8 million (£2.2m) for this Spanish-style villa in West Hollywood, but just three months later put it back on the market for $2.9 million (£2.3m). Concealed behind secure gates, the fixer-upper house was sold in February 2018 for the asking price.

Encompassing 2,650 square feet, the two-storey main house has four bedrooms, five bathrooms, and a den. The open-plan main living space oozes Californian beach vibes, with fresh white walls, neutral furnishings and light wooden floors throughout.

The master suite, which sits on the home’s upper floor, dazzles with an airy vaulted ceiling, walk-in wardrobe and ensuite bathroom. Our favourite feature, however, has to be the space’s private balcony, which offers scenic views over the garden.

Outside, there’s a detached two-storey guesthouse with its own ensuite bedroom, bathroom and kitchenette. The living area features bi-folding glass doors that open out onto the terrace and swimming pool the perfect spot to host A-list guests.

Sometime in 2018, when she was focusing on the expansion of her Fenty Beauty range, Rihanna secretly moved across the pond to London and started renting this regal mansion. The star had lived incognito in the capital for around a year until eagle-eyed fans noticed a Sainsbury’s bag from one of the UK’s biggest supermarket chains in an Instagram post.

The stunning eight-bedroom home was previously on the market for $44.5 million (£35.6m) but the listing has since been removed. It features a whole host of luxury amenities befitting of the megastar, including a gym, sauna, plush master suite, elevator, and a CCTV security system.

The period property, which Rihanna reportedly paid $20,000 (£16k) a week to rent, has a choice of two studies, plus a glamorous kitchen that sits alongside the dining room and living room. With plenty of space for hosting friends and family, the property also comes with off-street parking for up to 10 cars, which is a rarity in London.

The beautiful four-storey city retreat has no shortage of outdoor space to enjoy too, with sprawling manicured lawns extending to the rear of the property. We’re sure this picture-perfect backyard was the scene of many A-list gatherings during Rihanna’s tenure.

For fans wondering what the elusive singer has been up to of late, she has been busy acquiring yet another jaw-dropping property to add to her burgeoning portfolio. In early 2021, not long after things got serious with her beau A$AP Rocky, Rihanna bought this sprawling five-bedroom, seven-bathroom Beverly Hills home for $13.8 million (£11m).

The star reportedly put the property up for rent at $80,000 (£64k) a month shortly after purchasing it. The 5,900-square-foot mansion sits secluded in the exclusive 90210 zip code, surrounded by famous faces. The property’s neighbours include some of Rihanna’s biggest musical influences, such as Madonna and previous collaborator, Sir Paul McCartney.

The house was originally built in the 1930s and was formerly owned by Mary Sheldon, daughter of best-selling crime and thriller writer, Sidney Sheldon. The home’s sale in 2016 was chronicled in an episode of the reality show Million Dollar Listing when it was bought by tech entrepreneur Daniel Starr. The investor splashed millions on the demolition and rebuild of the property, later suing his contractors for fraud and poor workmanship.

Despite the upheaval, Starr transformed the home into an ultra-contemporary farmhouse that blends modern and traditional design throughout its architecture and interiors. There is plenty of glamorous fixtures and classy detailing on display: from French white oak hardwood floors to marbled surfaces, to brass and stainless steel accents.

Rihanna – whose lingerie collection Savage X Fenty was valued at $270 million (£216m) in March 2022 – has previously announced plans to release a Caribbean-inspired cookbook, which could be why the home caught her eye. The light and spacious kitchen is the perfect place for trying out recipes with famous friends.

Throughout the home, there are plenty of open-plan spaces for socialising, such as an intimate lounge area, a luxurious wet bar, and an alfresco courtyard complete, with a firepit, pool and spa amenities.

Luxury amenities abound throughout. Upstairs, there’s an array of custom, walk-in wardrobes and a truly stunning master bathroom with a standalone bathtub. This leads out to a beautiful sun terrace, perfect for savouring a morning coffee.

As you would expect from a Beverly Hills retreat, there are also a myriad of spots to enjoy private moments, as well as multiple interior and exterior viewpoints that overlook the verdant greenery of Coldwater Canyon. Talk about picturesque!

Shortly after purchasing her Beverly Hills manor, Rihanna snapped up this Tudor-style home just next door for $10 million (£8m) in April 2021. According to reports by Dirt, the home was never on the open market which meant that the singer must have acquired a private sale.

Hidden behind secure gates the home was built in the late 1930s and boasts four bedrooms and five bathrooms. Spread out over 3,600 square feet of space, the listing photos date back from 2015 when the home was last on the market for just over $5 million (£4m).

With formal living and dining rooms, it’s the perfect house for entertaining. The more casual open-plan kitchen leads out to a beautiful backyard, so it’s the ideal space to kick back and relax.

With an attached garage and a small office, the home has plenty of amenities for the star to enjoy. Spread over two storeys, it may be smaller than her property next door, but it still has access to over an acre of land and more than 11,000 square feet of living space combined.

With no end of formal living and dining rooms, it’s the perfect house for entertaining. However, there are plenty of casual spaces to relax in too, including this light and airy bedroom with a romantic wrought-iron balcony.

Outside in the back garden, there’s plenty of space for alfresco entertaining on the roomy patios, as well as a built-in barbecue and a swimming pool. Ever the savvy businesswoman, according to Dirt, it is reportedly leased out to tenants, like her mansion next door.

Despite already owning a condo in this statement skyscraper in Los Angeles, which has served as the superstar’s primary residence since 2014, Rihanna has just splashed out $21 million (£16.8m) for a luxury penthouse, one of the largest condos in the building. With more than 9,000 spectacular square feet of living space, it’s certainly an upgrade from her 3,500-square-foot home. With a toddler in tow and a baby on the way, we can understand why Rihanna might want a bit more space to spread out, and she has certainly chosen to do it in style.

Rihanna actually managed to secure the property, which was once the home of Friends star Matthew Perry, at a substantial discount. Though the initial asking price for the penthouse was a whopping $28 million (£22.4m), Rihanna managed to negotiate the fee down by $7 million (£5.6m), likely using the impending LA mansion tax as a bargaining chip. The tax was implemented just one day after Rihanna sealed the deal on the home, saving its seller, tech billionaire Nick Molnar, roughly $1.1 million (£900k) in taxes.

During his time in the penthouse, which boasts four bedrooms and six and a half bathrooms, Perry substantially remodelled and customised the space with the help of architect Scott Joyce and interior designer LM Pagano, whose changes remain intact today. The home’s primary open-plan living space is characterised by curved floor-to-ceiling windows boasting spectacular views of the LA skyline, a cool white marble accent fireplace, and highly polished dark hardwood floors.

The living area flows into a sleek and modern all-white kitchen complete with marble countertops, dual islands, and state-of-the-art appliances. Accessed by a private elevator, this combined living-dining space is ideally suited for entertaining. Perhaps Rihanna will be inviting some of the building’s other A-list residents – who include Denzel Washington, Terry and Heather Dubrow, and Candy Spelling – over for dinner in the near future?

The home’s master suite also boasts a curved wall of windows, as well as dual bespoke closets, dual bathrooms, and its own sitting area. Other highlights include the luxury soundproofed home theatre, and, arguably the most dramatic feature, four different terraces facing in four separate directions, and offering panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, Catalina Island, Downtown LA skyscrapers, the San Gabriel mountains, and Mount Baldy.

The building itself has long enjoyed a reputation as LA’s premier residential skyscraper. Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects and completed in 2010, the building is known for attracting celebrities who don’t mind paying $8,814 (£7k) in monthly HOA dues for access to on-site luxuries including 24/7 concierge and security guards, access to an outdoor swimming pool and lush gardens, onsite storage facilities, an in-house restaurant, conference rooms, plenty of parking space and more.

Having recently overtaken Katy Perry as Twitter’s most-followed woman, Rihanna is definitely holding the public’s attention, and with her latest property splurge and new baby on the way, there’s plenty more in store for the singer as she launches this next chapter of her life. We certainly can’t wait to see what’s next for this multi-talented lady!