Page 5 | Someone IS living next door to me

Searchingforananswer2023 · 2026-05-10T10:13:18+00:00

House next door converted to a HMO and I posted before as I was worried. I've been hearing footsteps going up and down the stairs for a while and thought it was my imagination. No windows are open, no lights are ever on there is no sound of a toilet flushing and the bins are never put out. Just after midnight a car was running outside my house across the drive. I turned on my camera and the door next door opened to accept a takeaway. I have been off work for a week and have not seen anyone enter or exit. Unbelievablely strange

Original poster

Searchingforananswer2023 · 10/05/2026 19:02

LaurieFairyCake · 10/05/2026 12:41

wait, what ?!? Someone IS IN YOUR GARDEN AT NIGHT !!!

lead with that, that’s really ODD - who and why ?

Yes there is an open entry at the back and another one two doors down. Neighbours are removing trees and foilage and tearing down sheds so there is no hiding place for whoever is garden hopping at night.

OP posts:

Original poster

Searchingforananswer2023 · 10/05/2026 19:00

Happyjoe · 10/05/2026 12:39

Someone is in your garden at night? That's worrying. Have you a camera out back?

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Yes, camera I'd at the back and they've been over the fence so many times the panel has fallen off the gravel board and broken

OP posts:

EmeraldRoulette · 10/05/2026 18:51

@Searchingforananswer2023 who is in your garden it's not clear from your post.

If they're going in your garden, that's a problem! I can see your worries about the HMO but this seems a whole other kettle of fish.

Original poster

Searchingforananswer2023 · 10/05/2026 18:44

TootsMaHoots · 10/05/2026 12:39

How can you tell if your next door neighbour’s lights are on or off at midnight?

They have an extension and the kitchen is in the back. When the extension is lit up its like Blackpool illuminations in the garden.

OP posts:

notatinydancer · 10/05/2026 17:57

tiramisugelato · 10/05/2026 14:57

I think OP means that someone in her household is regularly in the garden at night, so they would know if the neighbours were coming in and out

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Oh 🙄

Boomer55 · 10/05/2026 16:36

PollyBell · 10/05/2026 11:20

Someone is living in a place this is normal

This. 🤷‍♀️🙄

LassiKopiano24 · 10/05/2026 16:35

If they are not bothering you what is the problem?

Owly11 · 10/05/2026 16:34

tiramisugelato · 10/05/2026 16:08

Nobody is coming into her garden at midnight - OP means that someone from her household is in the garden until late and would know if the neighbours were coming in/out because of that.

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Thank you. This makes it even weirder. Why is someone in op's garden at night spying on the neighbours.

sittingonabeach · 10/05/2026 16:32

If my neighbours (who I am on speaking terms with) had not told me they were away and hadn’t put their bins out as normal, I might message them to check okay, as it unusual to not have any rubbish to put out

Fleurdalys · 10/05/2026 16:29

Stop being a nosey cow maybe?

sittingonabeach · 10/05/2026 16:28

Everyone who says this is normal, where is it normal to never put bins out. If you get takeaways there is going to be rubbish

Maybe it is police staking out the drug house across the road

And if someone parked across my drive I would have a nosey to see who it was

Who is in your garden @Searchingforananswer2023

Comedycook · 10/05/2026 16:26

Monty36 · 10/05/2026 16:18

Well no, driving at midnight may entirely usual for some households.

But collectively, this household seems odd. And for the OP whose business it has become by dint of it being so odd, some sort of resolution is appropriate. And turn out to be a good thing.

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Resolution for who? The busybody op? These people don't owe her an explanation....

Shatandfattered · 10/05/2026 16:22

Wtf is this?! It's probably a safe house in by which they're trying not to be noticed I'd hate you to be my neighbour

tiramisugelato · 10/05/2026 16:19

Monty36 · 10/05/2026 16:18

Well no, driving at midnight may entirely usual for some households.

But collectively, this household seems odd. And for the OP whose business it has become by dint of it being so odd, some sort of resolution is appropriate. And turn out to be a good thing.

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It's none of OP's business whatsoever. What's she going to do - ring the police and say "there's someone living next door but I never hear them flush the bog and they never have the lights on"? 🙄

Monty36 · 10/05/2026 16:18

Comedycook · 10/05/2026 16:03

It's not odd to drive a car at midnight or move it....just because someone might not be living the same life as you, doesn't mean they are doing something criminal...nor do they owe you an explanation

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Well no, driving at midnight may entirely usual for some households.

But collectively, this household seems odd. And for the OP whose business it has become by dint of it being so odd, some sort of resolution is appropriate. And turn out to be a good thing.

Friendlygingercat · 10/05/2026 16:13

Perhaps they are vampires who like the occasional pizza.

tiramisugelato · 10/05/2026 16:09

Comedycook · 10/05/2026 16:03

It's not odd to drive a car at midnight or move it....just because someone might not be living the same life as you, doesn't mean they are doing something criminal...nor do they owe you an explanation

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Exactly.

MN is so odd about people who don't live the same life as they do. Lots of people work nights, or shifts, or have caring responsibilities that mean they have to go out at odd times. My dad was an NHS doctor and if he got called in, it was often at weird times of the night.

tiramisugelato · 10/05/2026 16:08

Owly11 · 10/05/2026 15:59

Um you seem focused on the wrong thing. You have someone coming into your garden at night that you mention in passing and don't ask for advice on but instead post about spying on your neighbours and saying they are weird. You have no idea whether someone is coming and going or has lights on or off so stop trying to work it all out and focus on the real problem of finding out who is coming into your garden at night.

Nobody is coming into her garden at midnight - OP means that someone from her household is in the garden until late and would know if the neighbours were coming in/out because of that.

Comedycook · 10/05/2026 16:03

Monty36 · 10/05/2026 15:45

No, I don’t think it is normal. You don’t have to be monitoring your neighbours to realise you never see them. That there are no lights on ever, that bins never are put out and no sounds. Except for a car at midnight. And one delivery.
In a HMO this is even weirder.

Why move the car at midnight ?

What could you do ? Report to police is first line of enquiry.
It is your business as you are living next door. The strangeness of the owners behaviour has made it your business. The owner may not be aware and think the property completely empty. They might be able to explain it perfectly satisfactorily.

But it is odd.

It's not odd to drive a car at midnight or move it....just because someone might not be living the same life as you, doesn't mean they are doing something criminal...nor do they owe you an explanation

Owly11 · 10/05/2026 15:59

Um you seem focused on the wrong thing. You have someone coming into your garden at night that you mention in passing and don't ask for advice on but instead post about spying on your neighbours and saying they are weird. You have no idea whether someone is coming and going or has lights on or off so stop trying to work it all out and focus on the real problem of finding out who is coming into your garden at night.

Tryingtokeepgoing · 10/05/2026 15:54

Searchingforananswer2023 · 10/05/2026 12:04

Definitely not squatters, but how can you be up until midnight with no lights on? If you are getting a takeaway why not put out rubbish? The weather is great for drying, why not hang out your clothes and open a window to air the house?

I'm not nosey just aware of my surroundings as both properties either side of me have been empty for two years and someone is habitually in my garden at night.

Perhaps they work nights? Or some other odd shift pattern. Or it’s haunted?!?

Monty36 · 10/05/2026 15:45

No, I don’t think it is normal. You don’t have to be monitoring your neighbours to realise you never see them. That there are no lights on ever, that bins never are put out and no sounds. Except for a car at midnight. And one delivery.
In a HMO this is even weirder.

Why move the car at midnight ?

What could you do ? Report to police is first line of enquiry.
It is your business as you are living next door. The strangeness of the owners behaviour has made it your business. The owner may not be aware and think the property completely empty. They might be able to explain it perfectly satisfactorily.

But it is odd.

tiramisugelato · 10/05/2026 14:57

notatinydancer · 10/05/2026 14:44

Why haven’t you confronted them ?

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I think OP means that someone in her household is regularly in the garden at night, so they would know if the neighbours were coming in and out

notatinydancer · 10/05/2026 14:44

Searchingforananswer2023 · 10/05/2026 12:04

Definitely not squatters, but how can you be up until midnight with no lights on? If you are getting a takeaway why not put out rubbish? The weather is great for drying, why not hang out your clothes and open a window to air the house?

I'm not nosey just aware of my surroundings as both properties either side of me have been empty for two years and someone is habitually in my garden at night.

Why haven’t you confronted them ?

mondaytosunday · 10/05/2026 13:32

Well I have no idea if my neighbours are in or out most of the time. I live in a terrace and though now the doors are open I hear them more, unless they are actively making noise I couldn’t tell you if they were in or not, and I’m in my own house at night so couldn’t tell you if they have a light on or not.