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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To pay to hire portaloo for workmen when they could just use the toilet in our house?

153 replies

CandidAzureReader · 14/04/2026 17:44

I'm planning on having some renovation work done in my home which will take about a week to complete. I'm aware that the tradesmen will need to use the toilet while performing the work. I simply can't bear the thought of letting them use our toilet. We have no downstairs toilet, just the one upstairs. I wouldn't want them using a downstairs one even if I had one.

My reluctance in allowing it is due in part to the stories I've read on MN over the years about workmen "shitting nuclear waste" and stinking out the whole house. DH thinks I'm mad to want to hire a portaloo. It would cost around £50 to hire one for a week and around £60 for delivery and removal of the loo. That to me seems a fair price to not have to deal with them using the toilet in the house. What are your thoughts MN?

OP posts:
Arlanymor · 14/04/2026 17:49

I let the postman use my toilet so it wouldn't bother me at all to extend that courtesy to others. I think tales of workmen creating nuclear devastation in people's toilets is vastly exaggerated - these people are under contract, why would they want to treat your home with disrespect? It doesn't make sense. There might be the odd bad egg (who leaves a bad egg in your bowl) but they are few and far between. If your DH think it's daft, but it's a red line for you, then I think you should be paying for the portaloo costs. I wouldn't want to waste £110/£170 (not clear if it's £60 for delivery and also then for collection, or just one fee for both) but if it's not a waste for you (poo pun intended) then you pay and you get your own way.

FeliciaFancybottom · 14/04/2026 17:48

Having had workmen in for 7 months last year, I'm happy to report that my toilet wasn't the scene of a nuclear event whose aroma could be detected on Mars.
Most people, including men, are perfectly capable of using a toilet properly.

tealandteal · 14/04/2026 17:48

I’ve never had a problem, when we had it first house we had one toilet and different people in for different things for several weeks on end. All very respectful. Now we do have a downstairs loo and although we haven’t had the same levels of people here, only do a day at a time it hasn’t been a problem. I think it would look a bit snobbish to hire one for them.

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