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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think our neighbour is spying on me through a wall?

729 replies

gnocci · 01/07/2012 22:42

We live in a semi but a semi that backs onto another house, so our entire back wall is another house's entire back wall IYSWIM. So upstairs we share a wall on our bedroom, the landing and our bathroom.

The only noise I ever hear from their house is that noise of a pull switch light cord. And the only time I ever hear it is just after I go to the bathroom at night before I go to bed. Whatever the time. I never hear it before or after. Without fail it is just after I leave the bathroom. I go to bed at very random times (DH works away...). it could be 8pm, it could be 1am. Whatever time it is, I always hear that cord go within 20 seconds of me leaving the bathroom...

Uuummmmmm AIBU to think I might be being spied on..??!!! How do I find out for sure?!!

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 01/07/2012 22:57

Maybe it's their extractor fan?

Original poster
gnocci · 01/07/2012 22:58

No fan. And our's is a switch outside the bathroom door. Yes I know hearing it after I leave is strange!

I've just tested it and nothing.

OP posts:
HeadfirstForHalos · 01/07/2012 22:59

Could it be the noise the toilet makes when the tank finishes filling? And you only hear it at night when the house is quieter?

Original poster
gnocci · 01/07/2012 23:00

If it turns out at some point I don't hear it - only when I leave. Sorry this is all rather odd isn't it! But that's exactly what is freaking me out!!!

I don't know who they are as, as out say, our house backs on to their's so it's a different road all the way around the back!!

OP posts:
Original poster
gnocci · 01/07/2012 23:02

Definitely a light pull cord.

Oh the other thing is (sorry not deliberately drip feeding but this just occurred to me!), this is an unusual house as the two houses used to be one.... And were split at some point........ Makes it more likely spying holes or whatever could exist?!!!

OP posts:
SoleSource · 01/07/2012 23:04

I know, sounds as if you are imagining things. Whenever I finished a telephone conversation, went to the toilet, answered my door, had a chat with a visitor in my house HER WC dor would bang as siin as it was over. She used to listen to me as the walls are very thin. One day I noticed this noise that happened every single timew had stopped (signifying in my mind she was listening), she was dead in her house.

My neighbour told me she was convinced this neighbour was listening too just recently without any prompting from me

I kept this to myself for seven years. Some people are just this way but through fear as being perceived as paranoid people such as I keep it to ourselves.

Who knows? You could be right.

HeadfirstForHalos · 01/07/2012 23:07

Have you tried going over the walls with a fine tooth comb?

HugeFurryWishingStool · 01/07/2012 23:08

Go to the bathroom and turn the light switch on and off quickly, so it sounds as though you've switched it on, then wait.

If they come and turn their light on, you'll see their light if there are spyholes. If you see any light, call the police to come investigate in the morning.

rufus5 · 01/07/2012 23:08

Not sure how freaky you want to get with this, but if you are totally paranoid find out some time they are out of the house - on hols, school run, out at work, whatever - (bit hypocritical to 'spy' on them to do this though, but there you are!) and use the bathroom then. See if the sound occurs when their house is empty. If so then you know it's just some random noise.

MindTheElephant · 01/07/2012 23:09

Does it only ever happen at night?

rufus5 · 01/07/2012 23:10

Or a better solution, I'll lend you my 3 year old DS who just loves to pull our bathroom light cord on and off about a million times each day - your neighbour will soon get fed up trying to keep up with him!! Smile

Original poster
gnocci · 01/07/2012 23:12

It's only ever after my "bedtime" bathroom usage...

Think I am going to do some proper wall/ceiling checking tomorrow...

OP posts:
FuckerSnailInYourHedgerow · 01/07/2012 23:13

I know when you have a gut feeling like this it's very hard to discount. But surely it would be easier for them to spy if your light was on and theirs off?

WorraLiberty · 01/07/2012 23:13

How do you know they don't have an extractor fan?

oshuk · 01/07/2012 23:15

Could you arrange for someone to do the turning on of the light for you while you go outside and look into their windows to see if you can see anyone in their bathroom?

I don't want to creep you out, but could you turning the light off be triggering a camera of some sort? Or rather, the camera going off. I'd get a techy sort around to have a look.

SoleSource · 01/07/2012 23:17

I'd pay for a handyman/electrician to check it out. Or..ask your neighbour to use thei loo one day (if they only have one upstairs). Make an excuse, locked out or something for ten minutes. Have a check about.

Original poster
gnocci · 01/07/2012 23:17

I don't worral but not sure of the relevance?

Oh god I've just remembered something else (seriously I am not drip feeding deliberately! I am laying in bed mulling this over!)...

We had a plumber round a few months ago due to a water tanK issue (air lock) and he was tapping around on the walls and said it was strange that there is an area of "hollow" wall..... And he wondered what was behind it. He was intrigued that our house backed on to another house... God I've just remembered that! I thought nothing of it at the time!!!

OP posts:
oshuk · 01/07/2012 23:18

You could get someone to go and knock at their door, say one of the nights you go to bed early-ish, at the same time you are doing the bathroom thing. Then if they are talking at the door, do the turning off of the light at the same time.

griphook · 01/07/2012 23:18

does this noise only happen when you use the bathroom for the last time before you go to bed or during the day aswell?

EngeldinkHumpabert · 01/07/2012 23:19

Tomorrow night, as suggested, go for your night time pee in the dark. Then see if you can hear it. I do think it is most likely to be something really obvious and innocent as opposed to neighbour spying/holes in the wall/secret video cameras.

Or go back into the bathroom and turn the light on again and see if it happens again.

Original poster
gnocci · 01/07/2012 23:19

Good idea about going in the bathroom and sending someone around the back to see if any of their lights come on/off.

OP posts:
griphook · 01/07/2012 23:19

You are starting to convince me.

oshuk · 01/07/2012 23:20

It wouldn't be something silly, like your light being connected to theirs, as the houses were once one? We have a light switch in ours which turns on two lights at a time, and the other can be turned off on a different switch.

EngeldinkHumpabert · 01/07/2012 23:21

The area of hollow wall possibly used to be a door that has been badly bricked up. The hollow area probably explains why you can hear the odd sound through the wall, made more likely by there being less traffic/outside noise/insode noise etc at night when you are going to bed.

Original poster
gnocci · 01/07/2012 23:21

Only happens with my before bed bathroom trip.

Tried it again about 20 mins ago (so after my bedtime trip and after I heard their light) and it didn't happen again.

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