To contact their landlord?

[AGirlsNameIsAryaStark]

Not sure if this is more a WWYD, but this is my first time posting here so be gentle!

Myself and DP live in a ground floor flat with a private driveway. Bricked walls either side leading straight to our front door, with no other flats that open onto the drive, so there's no confusion over which flat the drive belongs to.

We have Polish neighbours next door who don't speak much English. No bother to me, they generally seem pretty nice but there are about 10 of them cramped in a tiny studio flat (including a little girl about 3YO).

We've had problems in the past of some of them coming down the driveway and just staring through our front window, most of the time they're on the phone and just wandering around. I complained to my landlord before who spoke to their landlord/the council. Last week I came home from work and one of them was sitting on my driveway as I reversed my car in, didn't move, and when I tried to tell him to move ignored me. Bearing in mind the drive is bricked up either side, so he's basically sitting in front of my front door. We have a couple of tomato plants on our driveway as we don't have a garden, and today DP has gone to work, walked past their drive and there are some of our tomatoes on their driveway. I'm getting fed up with strangers on my property (well rented property but you know what I mean), staring through my windows and now stealing from us.

What can I do? I don't want to contact their landlord/council directly but AIBU to get my landlord to make a complaint on my behalf?

Sorry it was a long one!

[VioletBam]

Get a camera on the front of the property. Visible.

[Shoxfordian]

Not unreasonable to contact the council; may be an unregistered HMO

[AbyssinianBanana]

Well their landlord has no right to tell them what to do in their own home, so not sure what you're expecting of him! Sort your neighbour issues out with your neighbours.

[MumOnTheRunCatchingUp]

Ten of them?

[VioletBam]

Banana their landlord has a responsibility to ensure his or her tenants are not causing a nuisance or being socially irresponsible.

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

It's about not what they are doing in their own home, Banana, it's what they are doing in OP's home.

[scaryteacher]

Contact the council as it may be a HIMO. Might be worth calling whatever the non emergency police number is as well re your mobile tomatoes.

[cherryplumbanana]

Might be worth calling whatever the non emergency police number is as well re your mobile tomatoes.

[EssentialHummus]

they generally seem pretty nice but there are about 10 of them cramped in a tiny studio flat

I echo what PP have said - this smells like an unlicensed HMO. Let the Council housing department know that you have seen up to 10 different adults apparently living in a one-bed flat. If you can attach photos of various residents, all the better.

[OreosAreTasty]

10 in a studio flat? Going to bed must be like playing Tetris.
Get onto the council. And
Really,
Police over tomatoes?!

[AGirlsNameIsAryaStark]

Abyss I would happily sort it out with them directly if we spoke the same language.

Thanks for all the replies, I know it sounds ridiculous re the tomatoes but it's kind of been the icing on the cake.

They leave their front door open all day, presumably to air the place out given the amount of people, and it's literally beds lined up against each other. Ergh.

[AGirlsNameIsAryaStark]

Sorry, meant to ask, what's a HMO?

[FeliciaJollygoodfellow]

House of Multiple Occupancy. It can be legal (student lets for example) but theirs doesn't sound like it. It sounds grim.

(Not that I'm excusing them)

[LIZS]

House of Multiple Occupancy. Basically more than 3 adult sharers, or more than be household in a single property. There are strict additional rules about fire and safety plus it would be overcrowded. Council will investigate especially if Housing Benefit is being claimed.

[DeathStare]

I'd write them a letter and see if you can get it translated.

[scaryteacher]

It's theft is it not? If the OP gets into a tit for tat, and the ante gets upped with damage to car etc, then best to have it documented early.

[nc060]

In Scotland landlords have a responsibility under their Anti Social Behaviour Act to ensure their tenants are not being a nuisance! If you are j. scotland contact your local landlord registration team!!

[YelloDraw]

Have you said "OI, get OFF MY PROPERTY! What are you doing here??? This is PRIVATE LAND"

[Dontyoulovecalpol]

Violet a landlord isn't responsible for their tenants behaviour.

I would report them for over occupation to the council- if you can't talk to them doubt the landlord can. Is it the same landlord as yours?

[OhWotIsItThisTime]

Report to council. Suggest cctv or a gate to your landlord.

[gobbynorthernbird]

If someone was vandalising or stealing from my garden, I'd report it to the police? Why not? It's illegal.

[Dontyoulovecalpol]

Let me just check- you would phone the police and tell them that someone had stolen your tomatoes from your tomato plant?

[molyholy]

Definitely report for over occupation. if there are actually 10 people, including a yound child, this un unacceptable and the landlord is unscrupulous. He will be probably be getting rent per person. Stuff like this makes me so angry.

But I wouldn't report the tomatoes to the police.

[Pinkheart5915]

I am a Landlandy and I would like to be contacted if possible over crowding in one of my properties and also the way they are behaving isn't great.

I have been contacted for an awful lot less In the past.

You could look in to a cheap camera on the front of your property? Any actually damage cause you should always contact the police.

[gobbynorthernbird]

Dont, I'm actually more the go round and shout at them type, but yes. I'd ask to talk to the community liaison officer (or equivalent) because why should I put up with anti social behaviour, theft, or vandalism of my property? The OP shouldn't have to deal with this shit.