We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum... Read More »
PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING: Hello Forumites! In order to help keep the Forum a useful, safe and friendly place for our users, discussions around non-MoneySaving matters are not permitted per the Forum rules. While we understand that mentioning house prices may sometimes be relevant to a user's specific MoneySaving situation, we ask that you please avoid veering into broad, general debates about the market, the economy and politics, as these can unfortunately lead to abusive or hateful behaviour. Threads that are found to have derailed into wider discussions may be removed. Users who repeatedly disregard this may have their Forum account banned. Please also avoid posting personally identifiable information, including links to your own online property listing which may reveal your address. Thank you for your understanding.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
Am I right to be suspicious?
lilymae
Posts: 3 Newbie
I'm a council tenant and just before Christmas my neighbours of about 20 years were evicted. There was a flurry of activity over the next few months, as you would expect, with council workers coming and going, emptying the house and getting the place ready for new tenants.
After a couple of weeks of inactivity, my husband saw an elderly couple plus another woman coming out of the house commenting on the stickiness of the front door so we assumed they were the new tenants. We were a bit surprised as it's a 3-bed house and we assumed a family with young children would be moved in.
Over the next few weeks, we heard movement and DIY sounds and so presumed somebody was putting up shelves etc in preparation for moving in. We also saw a man (of about 60) leaving the house several times with a rottweiler (also saw the dog loose out in the back garden and heard the dog bark when he was in the house). However, that was about 8 weeks ago, and since then there's been hardly any activity or sounds from the house at all. Didn't hear any sounds of furniture etc. being moved in as you would expect. No noise, no doors closing, no plumbing noises or hearing people going up and downstairs (all of which was normal when the previous family lived there). Nobody out in the back garden, no sightings or sounds of the dog, no grass being cut etc. Occasionally, the green and black bins out the front get moved around a bit, but apart from the first week, they haven't been put out for the dustman to collect each week. The house appears to be in darkness most of the time although I have occasionally seen a low light on in the hall. All curtains in the front of the house (kitchen and bedroom) are wide open but no lights or activity seen and curtains around the back (living room and master bedroom) are closed tight and are never opened.
The other day, some decorative edging bricks were removed from along the path in the front garden. They just seemed to disappear overnight, didn't hear or see anything. Don't know whether this was the new tenants or whether they were stolen by people who thought the house was empty.
Is it possible to live so quietly like this? No sounds, no movement, no comings and goings etc? What would you think and do? Am I just being paranoid or should I be contacting the council with my concerns? Part of me is glad that we have such quiet neighbours (after being used to a loud family with 4 kids who were constantly having parties/barbecues) so I'm not sure I want to rock the boat, but I can't help thinking it's all a bit clandestine and that there must be something more sinister going on, although what, I can't imagine.
After a couple of weeks of inactivity, my husband saw an elderly couple plus another woman coming out of the house commenting on the stickiness of the front door so we assumed they were the new tenants. We were a bit surprised as it's a 3-bed house and we assumed a family with young children would be moved in.
Over the next few weeks, we heard movement and DIY sounds and so presumed somebody was putting up shelves etc in preparation for moving in. We also saw a man (of about 60) leaving the house several times with a rottweiler (also saw the dog loose out in the back garden and heard the dog bark when he was in the house). However, that was about 8 weeks ago, and since then there's been hardly any activity or sounds from the house at all. Didn't hear any sounds of furniture etc. being moved in as you would expect. No noise, no doors closing, no plumbing noises or hearing people going up and downstairs (all of which was normal when the previous family lived there). Nobody out in the back garden, no sightings or sounds of the dog, no grass being cut etc. Occasionally, the green and black bins out the front get moved around a bit, but apart from the first week, they haven't been put out for the dustman to collect each week. The house appears to be in darkness most of the time although I have occasionally seen a low light on in the hall. All curtains in the front of the house (kitchen and bedroom) are wide open but no lights or activity seen and curtains around the back (living room and master bedroom) are closed tight and are never opened.
The other day, some decorative edging bricks were removed from along the path in the front garden. They just seemed to disappear overnight, didn't hear or see anything. Don't know whether this was the new tenants or whether they were stolen by people who thought the house was empty.
Is it possible to live so quietly like this? No sounds, no movement, no comings and goings etc? What would you think and do? Am I just being paranoid or should I be contacting the council with my concerns? Part of me is glad that we have such quiet neighbours (after being used to a loud family with 4 kids who were constantly having parties/barbecues) so I'm not sure I want to rock the boat, but I can't help thinking it's all a bit clandestine and that there must be something more sinister going on, although what, I can't imagine.
0
Comments
-
It's probably nothing to worry about, maybe they work nightshift or something.
But don't make the mistake me and my mum did by assuming the "blue light" if you see one, is just the TV ;-). Turns out our neighbours had a little cannabis factory going...0 -
Well a couple of options obviously, it could be that they haven't oved in yet, it could be that the houe is a front for growing cannabis, and it could be anything in between.
I wouldn't worry too much, the council will check on the property regularly if it is vacant, and if not, you have some quiet neighbours, enjoy.0 -
Knock on the door and visit your new neighbours? They might just be as elderly as they looked, and might welcome a friendly visit. I've never left it more than a few days to visit new neighbours.0
-
There is one neighbour near me that I am pretty sure only use their flat on weekends. You never see or hear them during the week but they all suddenly appear at the weekend. It's a woman with two kids and I think she spends the week living at her boyfriends then comes back to the flat at the weekend. That is only an assumption though as her boyfriend also appears at the weekend.
You may just have super quiet neighbours or they may just be keeping hold of the house "just in case" it's needed, etc0 -
I think if it was a flat or smaller dwelling, I would just assume, as Sandsni suggests, that the tenant was a nightworker or a very quiet singleton/couple. However, it is a 3-bed house which you'd assume would be occupied by a family with children.
If the tenants are indeed the people we saw leaving the property (when I said 'elderly', I meant in comparison to a young family - they are in fact about our age, late 50s/early 60s, and seemed to not have any mobility issues), I would be surprised if the council would allow them the tenancy of a 3-bed house unless they had other family members living with them in which case, again, I would expect more noise/activity.
Daffyduck, I did consider visiting them to say hello but after 8 weeks, it seems as if it's a bit too late for that. I was hoping to get to know them gradually on chance meetings but they don't seem to be happening.
I guess I will just have to curb my curiosity and enjoy the peace while it lasts.0 -
I have a family living next door to me. There are three children aged 9, 10 and 13. They do not venture out and everything's delivered. Most days, except in the kitchen, the curtains stay drawn.
As the kids don't go to school and I work at home, I know how often they go outside. This year, I could count the number of times they've played out of doors on the fingers of one hand, though they had a few days holiday with a relative last month.
There is nowt so queer as folk!0 -
Sounds to me like bliss, quiet neighbours, I'd leave well alone.It's someone else's fault.0
-
They might be sitting round in their pants, unwashed (them and the pants) .... nobody wants random knocks at the door! That's simply not polite.Knock on the door and visit your new neighbours? They might just be as elderly as they looked, and might welcome a friendly visit. I've never left it more than a few days to visit new neighbours.0 -
How about just quietly minding your own business?0
-
I totally agree.BitterAndTwisted wrote: »How about just quietly minding your own business?
I only posted because I can't help feeling something isn't quite right and I wanted to see if other people thought it was odd too. If any wrong doing/benefit fraud etc. should ever be discovered or happen in that house, I would hate to be the butt of comments such as "how come the neighbours didn't notice/say/do something?".
Thank you to everyone who has replied. It's a very welcome change having some peace and quiet, especially during the summer months. It means I can now enjoy my garden a bit more (weather permitting of course!) without fear of an empty beer can or cigarette end being thrown over the fence and without the noise of footballs being constantly kicked against the fence!0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 351.5K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.3K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 453.9K Spending & Discounts
- 244.5K Work, Benefits & Business
- 599.8K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 177.2K Life & Family
- 258.1K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.2K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards