Tenant leaving curtains shut

[user1466222549]

I became an accidental landlord about four years ago when we needed to move for work, but couldn't sell the house. We have rented the house to the same person ever since we left.

I keep getting hassled by one of my old neighbours who I have stayed in touch with. She has taken umbrage to the fact that my tenant leaves her lounge curtains closed most of the time. Not quite sure why this is such an issue to our old neighbour. She say that "It makes the road look terrible". I have told her that there is nothing i can do about it as I feel that it is none of my business whether the lady living in our old house opens her curtains or not.

My old neighbour mentions this "Issue" every few months. Although I don't want to fall out with her, surely she is completely unreasonable in moaning about our tenant's behaviour?

lol- this reminds me of my friend who was working abroad and renting, and the landlady came round to say a) she had to open her curtains (well, shutters, it was that kind of country) before 8 am on a Sunday because it was the law b) rang her up every evening to ask if she'd put bleach down her toilet because that was the law as well.

Ask the tenant to open just one curtain. The neighbour will know that you have spoken to them and it will continue to irritate her enormously, probably even more so than not opening them at all as she will know that you are fucking with her.

The blinds downstairs are often closed as only kitchen is down there and only spend minimal time in their during the day, it is also the coolest room in the house for the dog so keeping them closed helps with this. Tell the neighbour to sod off, I am sure there are much more important things to be concerned about.

Apparently some people really do think this is cause for concern. I once rented a house where the actual landlord, through the letting agent let us know that she had noticed our curtains were often closed during the day and she didn't approve. At the time I was working as a junior doctor an hour away from the house and my husband had a 90 minute commute. It was a combination of leaving the house so hideously early that we didn't make it into some of the rooms to open the curtains and my sleeping during the day after a night shift. This among a few other 'minor' concerns had us out of there once our year was up. We were good tenants. Quiet, clean, paid rent on time etc. Some people really don't know what to moan about next.

I agree with Kiwiquest and Andrew ! We've had two cannabis factories raided near us, and would never have thought it! One was in a particularly naice area I'd also check with her that it's just because she doesn't like the curtains being shut , or whether there's really anything else bothering her.

Some old folks have very rigid routines and think that those who have different ways are beyond the pale. My MIL is often horrified (and hasn't much else to think about) if her neighbours don't open/close their curtains at a certain time. To be fair they may be ill and in need of help.
Every visit she asks me what time I open/close mine, as if I should set my clock by it! Plus, as mentioned it could be a cannabis farm.

Oh dear mimsy. Do you think she thought I was growing cannabis between shifts?

I knew a landlady who had it written in to tenancy agreements that curtains had to be open to "let the light into the property" I don't know why.

trust me f its a cannabis farm they wont be doing it i the front room it has to be permanntly lit no windows whatsoever and a constant heat source

I keep my blinds shut. Man across the road stands at his window and stares in. You can't pass a fart in this street without people knowing.

Back when I was badly suffering with depression, my curtains would always be closed. I wanted to hide away from the world. If someone had complained about me like that I'd have been a nasty bitch and deliberately found the mankiest most revolting shit-stained looking curtains I could find to really piss them off.

Is it still 'a thing' that when someone dies you leave the curtains in the front room drawn? Perhaps it unnerves your neighbor every time she walks past because she thinks someone has died.

Loads of the windows of the HMO's round here have their curtains and windows shut all day everyday. It does look grim because the condensation makes the curtains all mouldy.

I have a neighbour with perennially drawn curtains and I think it's incredibly weird. We often speculate that they might be vampires or similar.

Write her a letter explaining it's none of your's or her business whether the curtains are open or drawn.

Include an invoice for your (wasted) time at, say, £100/hour.

Blithering is right.

My oldies are also now obsessed with their neighbours. It is a rented house and they complain about the current tenants not trimming their hedges to within an inch of their lives (like my parents do) even though these neighbours are quiet and peaceful and cause no problems.

My dad twitters on that they don't cut their grass often enough too as the dandelions flower and then the seeds fly into their garden and they have more dandelions to contend with. He has mentioned it to the owners and landlords of the house.

FFS.

I hate curtains being drawn during the day. My neighbour also rents out his house and the curtains are permanently closed, it does irritate me and it looks rubbish.

However, I would never say anything as its none of my business.

When my gran was alive the people on her street would go round and check you were alive if the curtains weren't drawn by 9 (or something). It's probably that that bothers her.

However it's none of her business whatsoever and you would be U to mention it to the tenants. Tell her firmly you're not going to and doing so could be perceived as harassment by you.

nocoffee I work from home, and always have the blind down to stop the neighbours seeing me at the computer. No-one's complained though.

Gabs obviously not, but that was something the neighbours had commented on later. Perhaps it was because they came and went in the evening, so had the lights on and drew the blinds then.

A few years ago, my mum had an unusual lie in, and woke up to hear a gaggle of neighbours in the street outside wondering whether she'd died in the night! She was v annoyed at the time.

keeping your curtains closed usually means there is a death in the family it unnerves some people

plus of course way back when it was a sign of slutty behavior lack of standards etc etc

murphy

Your dad wants to live next door to my neighbours who never do ANY gardening front or back because "they have hay fever and don't use the garden anyway"

i dated a man whose mom would open her curtains in the lounge before she went to bed so people wouldn't talk if she overslept

"My dad twitters on that they don't cut their grass often enough too as the dandelions flower and then the seeds fly into their garden and they have more dandelions to contend with. He has mentioned it to the owners and landlords of the house."
But that actually would be annoying, as dandelion seeds do sweep in!

Agree it's none of her business, on the other hand I would check my property because it can be a sign of a cannabis factory and also if they never open them you can get condensation and black mould on the frames, it is a bit minging to never open the curtains.

we have this problem with our tenants too. However, it does lead to a greater mould growth I think. Personally don't know how they can live in so much darkness, or lack of ventilation.