My neighbours have disappeared

They may have moved house with the plans to rent it out, but they haven't done so yet.

Loads of possibilities. I can't see any reason to get involved though. A family of that size would flag up many, many times with schools/work etc if they really had "disappeared".

Some tenants tell the neighbours they’ve bought the property so unless the neighbours know the landlord/owners neighbours may not know the true facts.

If I’d gone away of my own volition I’d be really pissed off if the police called to do a ‘welfare check’ and broke my door down. You don’t know the family so yes, I would not get involved.

How would you know for definite they owned their house and weren't renting? The most logical solution is that they were renting and either served notice, or just decided to move .

I had neighbours that did a runner overnight. They had kids and pets and no one in the street even knew their home was rented but it turned out they were far behind on payments. When the owners got the house back it ended up being fixed up and sold because they were so upset over them running away and the condition they left it in.

That dosen't mean it is definitely owned by them. Plenty of new builds are bought by landlords to rent out.

I once called the police expressing concern for my ex. He lived on a main road near me, and I realised he'd left the living room light on for a few days. I knocked on the door once because I felt I ought to, but there was no answer. The police phoned me back a day or two later to say that they'd made contact with him and he was fine. I think I did the right thing.

I’d go to the people who live next to them and knock the door and explain. Maybe they know something .

Our neighbours disappeared suddenly one day. We could see into their kitchen window and the washing up was still there 7 years later. It was like they just upped and left. They never returned to the house but we heard they were living 3 minutes down the road at one of their parents. It was so odd.

Someone "showing concern" would have gone round before now, asked neighbours, etc. The OP comes across like my late mother would have in the same situation, that is to say completely mystified as to how and why someone would move without letting her know. I mean, really, it's not good enough!

I wish mine would disappear, they did vanish for 7 weeks from early Nov to just after Christmas and I felt my mental health improve significantly. Then they came back, turned out they had been back to their home country for an extended visit.

I what world is this an "unusual situation"? Some 16 years ago, our area was having dreadful trouble with shitty neighbours (at least two different people from two different addresses) who lived in houses behind us. I had to make the descision to sell up and move, and no way was I broadcasting to the world that my house was up for sale. I had no sale board, and I didn't tell a soul.

Then one day I just moved out. Loads of people do it, and it's even easier if you don't rent or don't have to sell the house. You just leave.

You say that " I checked to see if the house was for sale, thinking they’d moved somewhere else but it isn’t", but what does that even mean? If it's been sold then you may not see anything for a long time, as it will be off searches for property for sale, but maybe not yet on websites which display sold prices.

Maybe they had a nosy neighbour living behind them who they didn't wish to inform.

We've some really nice neighbours not in our road but nearby who have gone to Dubai for work for 3 years (his job, hers is completely remote so she can work over there too). They're back at the moment (back for all the holidays), I only know this because the kids are loud when everyone else is currently in school.
However anyone passing their house (which lots do) must surely see that their car hasn't moved in months, the blinds (light coloured) are still down etc

That’s helpful! Not!

Just neb out. If they’re under the patio, they’ve been there for a while, and if they aren’t, then you will just be making a tit of yourself.

I’d go and knock on at the immediate neighbours

I bet they rented the house (some new builds will be bought and rented out) and just moved!

I’m sorry to hear you’ve lost your jobs, that must be incredibly stressful however I think it’s nice that people still worry about their neighbours, a welfare check that they won’t hear the result off is all it will take.

I would also check to see if their belongings are in the house and with the neighbours.

I think it’s kind of you to be concerned. I would suggest asking their immediate neighbours and if they are uncertain I would probably contact the police. It can’t hurt to check.

We have an elderly neighbour I’m similarly worried about as I haven’t seen her for quite a while and am planning to follow up with her nearer neighbours at the weekend.

Just call the local police or council, it'll put your mind at ease.

Oh oh there was that French case where a whole family suddenly vanished and neighbours only raised the alarm some time later, but all seemed ok at first.

It turned out they were all buried under the patio and the father (who presumably did this) is still on the run to this day!

Something like this happened to me! My neighbour disappeared and left her back door flapping open. I put some bricks in front of it and after a few days, sent her a text..... Crickets.... Dropped her a few more whatsapps, FB messages bu nothing..... At this point I am having long conversations with my friends about what to do and how long to leave it. At this point I'm looking for freshly dug soil in the garden....

Then suddenly she's back! She'd been to another country, got a new SIM card and decided not to check her messages anywhere.

Oh my goodness! I cannot wait to read this, it's a fairly niche book but it's been on my radar for a while

They might have moved
they might be travelling
One might be in hospital and the other looked after by family members