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AIBU?

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Living next to asylum seeker HMO, ask me anything

391 replies

JapanesePotWeed · 24/09/2026 20:28

As the title says. I live in a Victorian mid-terrace, wall-to-wall, garden-to-garden with an asylum seeker dispersal HMO. They were moved in nearly two years ago, replacing a multi-generation family that were living there before.
There is another HMO directly opposite my house, where asylum seekers get rooms once they are approved to remain but don't have an income to support themselves.

Not AIBU but more like AMA. I'm wondering what people would ask me if they really could ask anything. Does anyone actually want to know what it is like? I hear a lot of political point scoring in the media regarding this topic but no one actually talks to people like me!

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PamelaShipman80 · 24/09/2026 21:24

The shared attic space is the stuff of nightmares!

I’m assuming you don’t own the property? do you plan to move?

Spicysenorita · 24/09/2026 21:22

what do your other neighbours think about this?

Wantmoredogsbutcant · 24/09/2026 21:18

I'd hate this, so sorry op, are the men friendly to you? Are they intimidating?

Julynian · 24/09/2026 21:14

Why don’t you ask for this thread to be moved to the AMA section? That is exactly its purpose.

My question, do any of the residents of the HMO try to engage with you/the other neighbours?

How do you personally feel living next door?

Are you planning to sell your home in the near-ish future, and if so how would you feel about it then?

JapanesePotWeed · 24/09/2026 21:13

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Yes, I don't think a woman living alone is a suitable neighbour to all male asylum seekers, particularly when we didn't have full height fences between properties (I had to build a fence), our lofts have no party wall and are mutually accessible and we have shared land in the form of that access alley. But hey, no one asked me or even considered the things I mentioned.

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OldWallpaper · 24/09/2026 21:09

Are you scared?

34567890A · 24/09/2026 21:08

How do you feel living next door to them? Do you feel just as safe as before there were asylum seekers there?

UnwillingAdvocate · 24/09/2026 21:05

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

JapanesePotWeed · 24/09/2026 20:58

An interesting observation is that the guys are all pretty much nocturnal. They wake around 12pm-1pm and are at their most "animated" from 10pm onwards. Must be something that they are used to. I'm a night-owl myself so I can tolerate it. Would be hard otherwise!

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JapanesePotWeed · 24/09/2026 20:51

Sober23 · 24/09/2026 20:47

Do any professionals visit and monitor or have a presence or are they just left to fend for themselves?

When they (Home Office/MEARS) settled in the first group, I used to see case workers reasonably regularly but for the past 18 months the place and the tenants are pretty much abandoned. The garden got in a right state 😱 as no one ever comes to see.

OP posts:
Sober23 · 24/09/2026 20:47

Do any professionals visit and monitor or have a presence or are they just left to fend for themselves?

JapanesePotWeed · 24/09/2026 20:45

Deafnotdumb · 24/09/2026 20:35

How do they conduct themselves? What do the ones who have leave to remain do?

The ones who stay go to courses. A lot of courses. Some go to English lessons and of course barbering is popular. Some do shifts in takeaways. All complain about the shared accommodation and hope to get a house/flat.

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JapanesePotWeed · 24/09/2026 20:41

Deafnotdumb · 24/09/2026 20:35

How do they conduct themselves? What do the ones who have leave to remain do?

The conduct is a mixed bag, as some move out, the others move in. This transience really is the scary thing as you just never know who will be there next!
Sometimes there are lovely, prolonged quiet times. But there have been issues with drug dealing, weed smoking and illegal working for Just Eat and Deliveroo. The working was awful with all the bikes coming and going. We share an alley between my house and theirs and it was blocked every day with food bags and bikes.

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JapanesePotWeed · 24/09/2026 20:35

JuneSoon · 24/09/2026 20:32

What % men. What % women.

It's only men. 5-6 at any given time. I've seen many come and go in the two years. The house opposite is only men as well.

OP posts:
Deafnotdumb · 24/09/2026 20:35

How do they conduct themselves? What do the ones who have leave to remain do?

JuneSoon · 24/09/2026 20:32

What % men. What % women.