Buying house - homeless outside

There is no “obviously” about it.

The OP thinks they are going to use the water.

I asked why. Which is a reasonable question.

OP may have noticed something had moved or is on a water meter and the consumption had gone up.

A lot of assumptions are being made about the van and why it’s there and that the occupants are thieves.

The "One broken window" approach worked in NYC.

Unfortunately that's been proved to be a popular myth. Although there was a drop in crimes like theft, burglary, and assault when this approach was introduced, this decrease in crime actually began before the zero tolerance policing approach was introduced, and was mirrored across the US at the time although other cities didn't follow the policy.

It is likely that this decrease was in fact due to other factors, such as a major fall in NYC's unemployment rate. The decrease also continued after they stopped the policy. Additionally, there was no effect on the stats for serious crime like murder, rape and robbery with violence, so it is clear that the broken window approach didn't work in that context. If anything, that might suggest that aggressive policing for minor offences tends to push criminals into more serious offences.

Perhaps check the crime incidents reported for the car park/ street? That might give you a better indication of what goes on after dark - and it might be a lot worse than folk sleeping in vans!

My local water company have put the price up a lot recently, my bill will go up by an extra £30 a month. I'm on a meter so I wouldn't be happy with someone helping themselves to water that I will have to pay for.

I would be very concerned about this, homeless legs is just the start, it WILL lead to fence peeping and before you know it they'll be after your water for sure.

As another poster said, the thing to do here is to report them for being like rats, they are probably dirty anyway.

Sorry, I haven’t RTFT, but I have someone who seems to live in a campervan outside my house part of the time. They are so quiet I didn’t realise there was ever anyone in the van until my DH mentioned it. However, if I thought they were using my water or if they disturbed me in any way whatsoever I’d be on the phone to the council and possibly the police before you could say knife. So I totally get why you are concerned. I would speak to the council now and also speak to your solicitor and find out where you stand.

If it’s your water bill you’re worried about, get a stop-cock put in so you can turn off the outside tap from inside when you aren’t using it…

Well obviously because they live in a van and don't have their own water and have parked very near an empty house with an obvious outside tap.

OP I'd phone the council now and say a van has been illegally parked over night for a week on the street you're moving to and it appears people are living in it. See how they respond. I wouldn't want this OP, who knows what they're doing with their shit.

If they are using water - and it’s a big ‘if’ - they are unlikely to do so once the house is occupied- and if they do, it’s trespassing and can be reported.
I’d be more worried that the Council are not enforcing their overnight rules- as this may encourage others to stop there as well.

Why do you think they are using your water?

I’ve had van living outside my house. Nice enough people but without solid walls the noise was excessive, comings and going’s and raised voices during the night, peeing in my garden, emptying toilets down the drain outside my house which stunk, their rubbish in my bin, constantly bbqs and drinking etc so behaviour could get a bit lively. I wouldn’t recommend living cheek by jowl like this with them.

Get a tap lock
Report van to council for being parked overnight/long stay.
Get a garden gate with a lock.

Report to the council's homelessness team to make sure that they are getting the right support. If the van is by choice rather than homelessness, then it is up to the car park owner to enforce whether they are allowed to park there or not.

As for coming onto your property, if he is and it continues after your move in, then you ask him to stop.

This is so strange, vanlifers are a thing, a trend, I've contemplated selling up and living in a van many a time, it looks like a great adventure.
I would personally head to somewhere more beautiful than a carpark but they have probably parked near your new house because they think it looks like a safe area.
I've never once equated it to being homeless (some of these vans are easily 80k) or bad people, I see people living an free and adventurous lifestyle while the rest of us juggle bills and cleaning!
Not sure where your judgemental behaviour has stemmed from but try to have a more open mind.

Since you mentioned the area is lovely and people are nice, maybe ask a neighbour discreetly if the van is a known presence. Sometimes communities are already aware and okay with people parked nearby.

If you do see trespassing or any damage, you can report it to the local council or police non-emergency line. But it sounds like you’re not there yet.

Does the garden have a fence?
Add a ring door bell
Turn the tap off.

If you are comfortable there's no antisocial behaviour I'm not sure what the issue is.

If you are buying ensure you have insurance from point of exchange.

You haven't bought the house yet?. It isn't your problem till you own it. I would just tell your lawyers to tell the sellers to keep an eye on things.

Are you usually this anxious? You’re jumping to a lot of conclusions without any evidence.

I find the attitude of people in this country worrying. The number of time people equate homeless with threatening. It’s rude, unempathic and stuck up. God forbid this could happen to any of us.

This is MN. You should obviosuly give the hosue to the homeless person and buy yourself a new one.

They are likely to have chosen van life and although technically it is not allowed, the car park is a convenient place to park up without hassle. Why don’t you speak to them and go from there?

How committed are you to buying this house? If living near a vanlifer is a concern, back out. I would not personally like to live with a van very close to my garden, but I wouldn’t have anything against the individual, it’s just a case of whether it would affect my privacy.

TBH I'd be more bothered about how they are disposing of their "effluent". Even if they have a PortaPotty they have to empty it somewhere.....

Careful OP. If you’re going past and peeping at them that often, they may have noticed you and be worried that you want to steal their water. 😉

Lots of people are choosing this lifestyle.

Chances are they are parking there because they’ve not been caught and there’s less antisocial behaviour etc, rather than it having to do with the house.

If they are using the outside tap then they’ll stop once people move in.

Put a lock on the gate and if anyone does try and go in, then report them.

Honestly, this would not worry me in the slightest.