To stop people knocking?

[WalkingBlind]

Since moving into my council house months ago I've had endless people banging on my door from as early as 7am to as late as 2:30am They're all looking for the same person (previous tennant) and they are all clearly on drugs and I'm assuming this house was rented by a drug dealer.

Each time it's a different person who hasn't been informed their "friend" has moved. I now won't even answer the door to my postman because I'm terrified one day someone won't believe they aren't in the house and try to force entry (I had a close call early in the morning with someone who tried to just walk in when I didn't answer and repeatedly asked where their "friend" was. The drugs meant they couldn't understand I did not know the previous tennant).

I have a toddler and a newborn and my dog is an utter wuss, I don't feel safe.

AIBU to put a sign on my door/window that says "do not knock" or my gate saying "do not enter" or something along those lines. Will that be inappropriate when it comes to "standard" visitors?

note on the door, definately:

NEW TENANT
Baby asleep, please be quiet

Surely there's no point in a 'do not knock' sign, since the people you want to deter will wither ignore or not notice it?

Do you have a chain on the door, so you can open it with the chain on? Or a peephole thing?

To be honest, 'do not knock' sounds like the original owner trying not to be found. I've seen several houses with notes on the door saying 'X no longer lives here, please do not knock' but whether the dodgy friends of the old tenant would believe it is another matter.

Note saying 'X no longer lives here, do not knock'

Thanks. I never thought about the buggars being too off their face to notice I put up a "Warning CCTV" sign to see if it would deter anyone with foul intentions (don't even have CCTV )

I'm scared of naming previous tennant on the sign, don't want to piss off a drug dealer lol! But also never thought of it looking like I was them and I was hiding.... This is totally a lose/lose situation.

Goes to buy a scarier dog

Get the council to install a safety chain - tell them about the amount of visitors for ex tenant and that you do not feel safe!

This happened to a local premises. They put a note saying something like ' the previous tenants have left. This is now a family home. No unconventional business takes place here. Any unwanted visitors will be immediately reported to the police.

It worked quite well.

Do liaise with local police. I know the MN option of choice is ring 101 but this might actually be a good time to use this one.

I can't see what the police can do

There's nothing they can do to stop people knocking on someone's door. If the folk don't go away and cause problems that's different but just coming to the door???

I had this OP...it lasted for about 6 months. Then it wore off.

We had this with debt collectors and bailiffs when we moved into our last house. On advice we put a card in the window saying that Mr & Mrs Sippy lived there, had no knowledge of any previous residents and directing any interested parties to contact the conveyancing solicitor.

I had a similar problem years ago. My flat was used as a squat and for dealing before I moved in. Can you get a wrought iron door gate like the picture? More attractive ones are available.

Get one of those, a chain and a London bar which goes down the inside of your door and stops people jemmying it. Ask your local community police officer to come out and advise you on security and tell them about the problem, they may be able to help with funding.

You will need to be very, very careful if you get something like that, that a key is kept nearby or you have other escape routes in case of a fire.