To report my neighbour

[Loulou87]

Hi all,
This might be a long one so I apologise now.
My next door neighbours and I get on well they’re a family in their twenty’s with two young daughters.
Over the past few months I’ve noticed quite a vast number of rubbish bags building up in their garden. I’ve recently had a clear out and even offered to give her a lift to the tip to get rid of some. She’s declined as apparently they’ve got a skip coming.
Anyhow no skip has come and the bags have built up, our fence is only about 4ft so I can see straight into their back garden. Last week when we had I nice spell of weather I decided to do some gardening, I went into my garden shed for the lawnmower to find the floor covered in rat poo! There’s only a bike, a lawnmower and bbq in my shed so there’s nothing for them to nest/eat. I’m positive they’re coming from the rubbish next door.
I’ve had a word with her but a week later she’s done nothing!
I’ve returned from shopping earlier and a rat literally ran past my front door. It’s petrified me!
I don’t want to ruin my relationship with my neighbour but I’m at my wits end now.
If I report her she will know it’s me but I really don’t think I have any other option now.

If you report the rats, the pest control will report the rubbish so technically you haven't dropped your neighbour in it.

I would tell her that you have seen rats in your garden and are ringing the council on Monday to have the problem dealt with.

You aren't blaming her, you are just informing her of the situation.

She ought to be careful about letting her young DC play where there are rat droppings too.

Yes report and tell her.

I second the "You've had to report a rat infestation to Environmental Health" approach. The fact that Environmental Health will identify the source of the problem as the piles of rubbish next doorwill be obvious is incidental: you have a problem and it needs to be sorted sooner rather than later.

You've done the "nice helpful neighbour" bit: now you need the problem solved.

Twounder1 If you use FB there are often people on the selling pages who offer to do tip runs and clearances for a fee. Might be worth checking out. Does your DP not drive either?

Thank you @nanny0gg. I'll definitely have a look! I'm waiting for my stepdad at the moment to take them for me but he's always busy with work. I need to drive so I'm not relying on people for this stuff.

I’ve been round again, I’ve said I’ve got to phone somebody over the rats and she agreed.
She’s still adamant a skip is coming but couldn’t say when, she just said one next week. So I’m guessing it’s not been ordered yet.
I’ll keep you updated but I’m phoning the council Monday morning regardless.

You know what, it’s all the recycling they make you do that causes this. Some people get real anxiety about sorting things properly because they fine you if you get it wrong, which just leads to hoarding rubbish or not being able to throw it away because they just won’t take it if your bin is even a little bit full.

She is a hoarder and she can’t let rubbish go. It’s impossible to sort someone like that and you know what the effects for you are now.
Can you move?

Ring your council, they will have an environmental officer you can speak to directly. We had the same issue, ours is a shared garden. He said he couldn’t force action on the property causing the rubbish because it’s a shared garden so legally all of us would get in trouble () so he organised a collection. He was really lovely!

We have a similar problem, NDN's garden is full of rubbish, mostly old furniture in this case but some black bags, god knows what's in them. We've seen rats in our garden a few times now, bit the bullet yesterday and reported it so we'll see what happens

You know what, it’s all the recycling they make you do that causes this.

What causes it is people throwing rubbish bags in their garden and leaving them for weeks.

RoseWhiteTips Her house is tidy and clean, I don’t think she’s a horder, she has no problem throwing things out, her garden is full of rubbish bags plus her shed is full of bags also, she’s even said she thinks they’re nesting in there! She really didn’t seem fazed by it at all, it’s only been today when I’ve gone round and said I’ve had to phone somebody as ive seen one near my front door, our children (my DS and hers along with a few others) play out there it’s seemed to sink in a bit. I’m hoping me telling her somebody’s coming out on Monday (they’re not I’m phoning them on Monday) might kick her into moving them.
And moving house isn’t really an option for me, my mum is in a wheelchair and lives round the corner, my stepdad who was her carer died just before Xmas and me and my siblings share caring duties so I need to be close.
And I’ve had to bin my bbq!
I’m just glad my youngest wasn’t with me when I saw it, he loves anything with fur so would probably have tried to adopt it!
If I don’t laugh I’ll cry!! Wine has really helped me tonight!