Neighbours sitting outside my window.

[MasuMara]

There's a courtyard outside my bedroom window, it belongs to my neighbours.

They've placed their table and chairs right outside my window (practically have their heads resting on it!)

The courtyard isn't huge but they could easily place it elsewhere. I've come home today and it's been a long day and I just wanted to lie on my bed and chill ... and he's out there smoking.

I don't feel I should have to sit in the dark to avoid being stared at. Aibu?

Nah I'd find this annoying too.

I'm sure the right answer is talking to them, but I'd be pissed off if I were put in the position that I had to.

They probably don't realise which window is which in your property, try to keep that in mind I guess.

I would open the window and then act shocked when you see him there. See if that has any effect

I feel your pain op!
My neighbours and I don't have a fence between us at the moment for half the garden.
My neighbour sits in his boxers sunbathing, nearly made me jump out my skin when I put the washing out.

It's a tricky one because it is their courtyard, but if you make it awkward for them, they might kindly move their chairs further away.

I've never spoken to them in my life. The only time I've seen them is when they are outside

Why haven't you spoken to them?
It makes sense to be on pleasant terms with your neighbours.

I can't imagine the layout!

Something pop from the late 90s ought to do it.

No, no, no.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's Greatest Hits on an endless loop.

29psalm I don't know maybe she's shy, or maybe they're not approachable
Not everyone has pleasant neighbours you know.

Get those things you can stick on your windows so you can see out, and they can't see in. Should give you a bit more privacy but won't ruin your view nosing abilities

Why not be an obnoxious twat rather than considerate. It is every bodies right to do so. Yours included.

Goodness me. We all have 'every right to do as we wish in/on our own properties but surely it is just usual practice amongst those of us with beyond basic social skills to show consideration to our neighbours where possible by not acting in a manner that infringes upon their ability to feel comfortable in THEIR own properties, where that is at all feasible?!

At least they haven't got wind chimes outside your bedroom window.

We had a similar arrangement - our window opened onto their courtyard, they put up a screen (we got no light!!) and hung it with all sorts of twiggy, noisy crap.

Why haven't you spoken to them?
It makes sense to be on pleasant terms with your neighbours.

What do you want me to do? Bang on my window and shout hello through it? open the window and ask to borrow a smoke?

Waiting for your neighbours to start a thread about sitting in their lovely courtyard garden and the nudist who capers in the room overlooking it.

I am following this with interest as have recently seen a house with a view to buying with this exact layout, the courtyard would be mine though. The window overlooking has the blackout stuff on it.

I too need a diagram.
Can't picture why something would be built with one home's bedroom window opening right out onto another's courtyard.

However, I too find it odd you've never spoken to your neighbours.

Also my window is quite big and there's less than a metre from it to the floor. So chances are they've seen through and know it's a bedroom.

Close your curtains and open the window when they are out there. They may be embarrassed enough to move because you can overhear everything they say and your privacy isn't compromised in the meantime.

Instead of talking to them, you could build a long poking device (like Friends) and slowly prod them with it through the window? @MasuMara

Lighthearted disclaimer

Pop your head out and ask if they know about Jesus Christ, their (potential) Lord and Saviour?

or poke your head out and start joining in with their conversations as if you were actually their invited guest. Do it each and every time!

Nowt stranger than people OP

Yes, people wanting to sit outside in their courtyard. How unbelievably strange.

NotAClever but what sort of person wants to sit outside their neighbours window?

Common decency and sense not to sit right in to someone else window though.

My DSIS had a similar problem (except it was communal space outside her bedroom window). Anyway, there was legislation (similar to party wall legislation) that meant the neighbours actually weren't allowed to just sit wherever they wanted because of privacy and access to light.

You could try asking them to move because you need access to your window. Leave a ladder propped up for a few days and hopefully they won't bother to move their table back.

some of these replies have made me laugh out loud, so thank you

Put a no smoking sticker in your window! How annoying - I get that it's their courtyard but they still should be considerate...

Well if I owned the courtyard and was aware the next door neighbour's window was right next to it, I wouldn't smoke RIGHT THERE.