Neighbour has complained about Portaloo

We've had a lot of work done on our house over the last couple of years with multiple trades and workers using our indoor loo. They've all been neat, clean and respectful with the loo and with the house generally.

I sometimes feel that Mumsnet is a portal to a parallel universe where everyone only ever behaves as badly as they possibly can 😆

They’re using ‘smell’ because they don’t want to look at it.

I work in construction management. Even in the summer, I’ve not known them to smell and I’m often standing next to them. I’d just smile and nod and say you’ll consider moving it (which I probably wouldn’t).

it amazes me that so many people need a bowel movement during the day at someone else's house.

Are you easily amazed? The digestive system is not controlled by whose house one is at and pooing during the day is normal.

Also... what? A mask and gloves and disinfecting all surfaces? Were they smearing shit all over the walls? What do you think they produce that your family doesn't? Just ventilate, air freshen and clean as you usually do.

You do realise some people have conditions that mean they can’t just wait?

It’s equally grim to employ someone then deny them basic facilities like a toilet and running water to wash their hands.

Im sure the neighbours have put up with the noise, dust, mess, vehicles etc…perhaps the tin can filled with shit at the end of the drive was a step too far.

I really wouldn’t fall out with my neighbours over this. Is there no way it can be moved!

We had a portaloo for about 6 months during renovations, I was so relieved when it finally went. It was emptied regularly but they do smell.

and we didn’t let them use the one in the house as they were dusty or muddy depending on what stage of foundations or building was going on and didn’t want them tramping upstairs in their boots. Or hogging the loo when I wanted a shower…

What on earth? You know workmen excrete exactly the same bodily materials that your own family do? I’m having work done at the moment and the workmen use the bathroom as they need. I couldn’t tell you whether it was a bowel movement or not, because they leave the bathroom as they found it. It’s a toilet, designed for shit and piss, regardless the occupation of the person in there.

By the time she’s had any response from the council the portaloo will be gone anyway

I certainly wouldn't complain to the council...no point, but I would have a word with the neighbour if it smells as bad as she has said.
The OP seems to have had it installed, and has no idea if it needs emptying or cleaning...or whatever one does to keep on top of a portaloo...so to speak.

Going away for the weekend may solve it for her, unfortunately not the neighbour.

If people don't permit builders the use of their lavatory, bottles of urine appear n the street.

That's what I thought but I've had a number of tradesmen in lately and it is grim. I never do that away from home and it amazes me that so many people need a bowel movement during the day at someone else's house.

Every day when they left I'd have to don mask and gloves, and go in and disinfect all surfaces.

Can the skip and the van not be moved so that the portaloo can go to the other side of the garden away from your neighbour?

Let her complain. They won't do much in a hurry.

I think the council will just laugh if the neighbour complains.
We had a portaloo on our drive for 3 months when we had an extension built and it certainly never gave off a smell. It was regularly emptied though.
It is standard to put Portaloos on front driveways. You see them all the time. They're not particularly pretty, but then they're only a temporary presence.
Your neighbour just needs to put up and shut up.

I'd just let the poor guys use a toilet in the house. What exactly are you scared of? Most of the "horror stories" are them leaving the toilet smelly as if everyone in the family excretes roses and lavender and this couldn't be easily and quickly sorted, and most of the actual horror stories are made up.

That’s interesting. When we had work done we said we were happy for them to use the indoor loo and would put down floor covers. Builders declined and said it was a faff to have to worry about not getting the mud and dirt from their boots and work clothes everywhere and would prefer we hired them one

Oh for sure I would hate it lol but I also think she’s being unreasonable to complain! It’s clearly temporary. Being inconvenienced by Neighbhours building works is a sort of necessary evil in a residential area. Hope she never needs any work doing that’s noisy or messy etc 👀

I am not weird about people using my toilet - family, friends, tradespeople, but I do think it's quite usual to have a Portaloo if works are taking 3-4 weeks and there are a few tradespeople. For me it wouldn't be using the actual loo, but more the disruption of maybe having 4 or 5 men traipse up and down the stairs to use our only bathroom/toilet.
I guess it depends on what work is being done.

They’ll have to contact Environmetal Health at the council with a smell complaint, who’ll go out to decide if it does actually smell. Probably worth checking the hire company are emptying it properly and if they are, you’ve got nothing to worry about.

YANBU about the Portaloo.

But YABU about allowing those working on your house not to use your inside lavatory. It's pretty rude & treating people working for you as a bit less than human.

If these craftsmen are good enough to work on your house, why aren't they good enough to use your bathroom?

Or the op letting other humans use her toilet whilst they complete work on her house.

She has a functioning toilet, she just doesn't want them to use it. So the only alternative to the portaloo isn't that they go in the street.

The alternative, the workmen relieving themselves curbside, is also not appealing.

This 100pc.
And what about the availability of hand-wash and water etc

It’s not the piss and shit that’s the problem. It’s probably the location of the toilet/traipsing mess. I have a similar length job going on at the moment and I have given the builders my downstairs toilet. I now don’t use it because of the floor - there’s no piss or shit problems, but builders have building material mess on their person so the floor gets covered in that - even if they are careful which mine are, the dusty stuff gets everywhere.

my mum once had builders who opened the front door and just let the dog go wandering off. So if I couldn’t keep my dog secure, I’d have a portaloo. Fortunately my dog is quite small and I’ve made a barrier out of boxes to keep him away from the door.

the neighbour is probably being a bit silly. It’s November - who is opening loads of windows for an extended period?. She just needs to keep the windows on that part of the house closed and open the back ones if she really wants.

This. I honestly think its disgusting when people take this attitude that tradespeople are somehow 'less than' and shouldn't be allowed to use the loo. Such unbelievable snobbery! If you are worried about them tramping in dirt provide shoe covers or just cover the floor in dust covers from front door to loo.
I would never dream of shaming a tradesperson by not allowing them to use the loo inside my home when they are working on my home!