Exclusive details: Harvey Levin of TMZ hunts for a renter

TMZ’s Harvey Levin has put his paparazzi-proofed house in Hollywood Hills West up for lease at $20,000 a month.

He had listed the private hideaway for sale at $5.3 million two years ago before lowering the price to $4.75 million and ultimately letting the listing expire. The founder of the celebrity news website had also offered the Spanish-style home for lease last year at $22,500 a month.

The nearly 3,000-square-foot home could be vulnerable to drones, but the driveway is gated, there are mature hedges and no tall houses loom nearby. Yes, listing details still somewhat ironically state that these measures ensure no one is “looking in” from above. There’s also a security alarm.

A two-story step-down living room with vaulted ceilings, an office with custom built-ins, three bedrooms and three bathrooms are among the living spaces. French doors in the family and dining rooms open to the backyard, where a swimming pool and spa sit near a flagstone patio. A flowering magnolia graces the back lawn.

Levin’s many guises include television producer, lawyer, legal analyst and celebrity reporter as well as hosting the “TMZ on TV” series. The 64-year-old honed his producing skills on such shows as “The People’s Court” and “Celebrity Justice.”

Public records show he bought the house in 1998 for $950,000. Levin also owns other real estate in the Los Angeles area, according to Celebrity Address Aerial, which found his lease listing.

James Nasser of Westside Estate Agency is the listing agent.

Twitter: @LATHotProperty