Neighbour asking me to turn off outside security lights

[DLL1]

New neighbours have moved in next door to me and asked that I turn my security lights off at the night time. This is because they are (supposedly) shining into their landing and they sleep with the bedroom doors open and don't have a blind so it is going through into the bedroom.

They haven't said they will get a blind or curtain or shut their bedroom doors but want me to turn my lights off instead.

We have nothing but trees behind us so it's very dark without them on.

We have had the lights for 1 year and the family who have just moved out of that house never complained about the lights.

I turned them off last night when they asked but don't want to keep doing so as I paid a lot of money for them and like the garden to be lit up at night.

Am I being unreasonable if I refuse to turn them off during the night?

They are not really security lights, thought security lights come on when they sense movement?

I think I would be annoyed too. One of my neighbours (at the back of my house) have 2 flood lights on their drive, when they leave them on I struggle to sleep as they are so bright. I don’t understand why you need your garden lit up all night.

Hmmm. reading with interest as our opposite neighbours have bright blue xmas lights that I SWEAR give me a migraine. They reflect weirdly off of our windows so our lounge is full of ghostly bright blue light reflections all december and much of jan/feb as they take ages to put them away. I thought about asking them to throw them in a skip reposition them but DH says I am being a pretentious knobhead because I don't like blue christmas lights (also true, which weakens my position).

Why have lights on at night though? Move to a city maybe?
Our NDN has them and they are terribly intrusive. No chance of going out the back and stargazing now with his monstrosities lighting the place up like central New York.

Think about it this way, OP.

If your neighbours decided to play loud music all night every night and when you asked them to turn it off they suggested you invest in some ear plugs, you wouldn't be very happy, would you?

It's exactly the same thing.

I think it’s out of order shining lights all night . Get security lights with motion sensors it’s very ignorant to have your house shining like a beacon all night long .

I miss seeing the moon from the bedroom window. Dh fixed up curtains to try and stop the street light from shining in through the sides of the blackout blind. I feel smothered by so much stuff covering the window now and I can’t get the fresh air on my face anymore, so I wake up stuffy and headachy.

I think you are both BU. You have every right to light up your home any way you like, however in the interest of neighbourly relations stick them on a motion sensor or auto turn off after midnight so you can still enjoy them, if you do this you could get a separate PIR security light. On the other hand it's their responsibility to put up blinds and close their bedroom doors. Say you will keep them off for 6 weeks until they have a chance to fit blinds but after that they will be on until x time.

Security lights should really be fitted with a motion sensor and not be on all night.

I think you are both BU. You have every right to light up your home any way you like

they don't have every right to light up anyone elses home, which is what they are doing.

Get them turned off and stop being so anti social.

Use the motion sensor setting at the very least, and have them angled away from the neighbours; they deserve not to have this intrusion at night - it's just common decency.

@DL11

Why does your garden need lighting up at night when you are asleep?

The people at the back of us have similar lights which after several complaints (not just from us) they turned onto a motion sensor setting. I really don't understand why they or you need lights on all night?

Some people don't give a shit about their neighbours.
Surely It's courtesy to switch outdoor lights off after 12 oclock. That goes for security lights AND Christmas lights.
Gardens are meant to be dark at night. The clue is in the word NIGHT and DARK.
OP you are being VVVVVU

I mean @DL11 not DL11 ^

@DLL1

Third time lucky!

Our NDN has them and they are terribly intrusive. No chance of going out the back and stargazing now with his monstrosities lighting the place up like central New York.

It's Light Pollution.
It's also not fair on any wildlife that thrives on nightimes being dark.

Oh Gawd yeah, people having super bright Christmas lights on all over their house STILL ON past 10pm really piss me off.

And I LOATHE the blue ones!

Just make them motion censored if it is genuinely for security.

You are being very anti social.

Could you not jst get motion sensor lights

Oh the blue Christmas lights. House along from us had blue icicle effect lights on their tree... only unfortunately in the dark when lit up they looked exactly like they'd adorned their tree with tiny blue light up penises.

I think after a couple of years they've finally realised and have gone for warm white fairy lights in recent years.

YABU - your lights (if on all night) cause light pollution and disturb the migration patterns of many birds as well as affecting numerous insects and small mammals.

Can you not get motion sensitive ones?

i don't understand the OP's reaction at all.

their neighbour has raised it as an issue, surely the adult thing to do is review the angle of the lights, reconsider the bulb to a lower wattage, etc, maybe change to a sensor one..?

Not post on here and push back with a "well the previous neighbours were ok with it"

OP - your neighbours have voiced a reasonable concern, and you should work with them to figure out a solution that doesn't impact their property.

Just turn them off OP terrible waste of resources just because you like your garden lit up.

Totaly unreasonable.

Perhaps in hot weather the neighbour needs both his bedroom and hall windows open to create a draft, with the door inbetween open as well.

Why should OP dictate how he lives.

And where does OP live that is so dangerous that she needs to light up the neighbourhood.

Barmy, batty and anti-social!

They are not security lights. They are just lights. Why on earth do you need the garden lit up whilst you're in bed.
As your neighbour I would get blinds. But it is antisocial to leave bright lights on all night.

I have not read the thread so I've no idea what the consensus is, and if this is a pile on I apologise, but I think you should do what they ask.

My parents' ndn have these and I cannot fall asleep in their spare room. Every time I"m about to fall asleep, and owl or a cat or something activates the full beam light and it lights up the spare room.