to think that this isn’t just a quirk or living at the end house and is actually theft?

[BanKittenHeels]

We live at the end house on our road. It turns out our window cleaner has been using water from our back garden tap to wash the windows not only on our entire side of the road but also the houses on the road that backs onto our road. That’s 43 houses!
When confronted about this he told me “that’s a quirk of living at the end house”.

I mentioned it to a neighbour and she just laughed and said “It’s only a bit of water!”

AIBU to think, as we are on a water meter, this is actually theft?

Gah typos, sorry!

No, of course he shouldn't be doing that. I think you can get a tap lock. He's a CF!!

Does he know you're metered? If not ywbu. Tell him, he probably doesn't realise you're paying for every drop he uses. If you made that clear yanbu. Also sack him. Cheeky sod.

Yes, that is theft. What has the position of your house got to do with it? You are paying for that water!

Ouch! Yes, that's theft. How long has he been doing it for?

Yanbu at all! Cheeky thieving fucker!!!!!

43 houses?
How on earth does your window cleaner have them all as customers?!!

If my window cleaner was always polite and friendly, and took some water to do next door - I probably wouldn’t care, though I’d prefer I was asked.

For that many? Pisstaking.

Get this:

www.amazon.co.uk/Locktap-PDSLT001-Tap-Green-12-5/dp/B07B77S28X/ref=asc_df_B07B77S28X/?hvlocphy=9046392&linkCode=df0&hvptwo&psc=1&hvnetw=g&hvadid=309904185356&hvpone&hvlocint&hvpos&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl&hvqmt&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&hvtargid=aud-858880340294:pla-596118433437&hvrand=1574594609508689640

I started writing that this was really cheeky...

But then I remembered that this is what happened where I grew up, and I'm pretty sure that it still happens on the street that I now live on... but I don't think anyone is on a meter, so it just means the window guy doesn't have to move everything all the time.

I still think it's cheeky, but I think if he didn't know you were on a meter, he probably didn't see why it would matter.

And I'd get a tap lock to stop it happening again.

Yes it is theft.

He and the neighbour may not realise that you are on a meter and is costing you money.

If you didn't have a meter it would be a quirk of the end house! As you do, it's theft. Does he know you're on a meter?

Does he know you’re on a meter?
It’s just the same as using your electric to cut everyone’s grass. Or boil their kettles. Cheeky sod.
I think you can buy outside tap locks though.

You do know he won’t be filling up 40 times? Probably a few buckets, tell him you’ll not expect to pay him for your windows then.

Very cheeky, he would be my ex-window cleaner.

I don't understand the scenario, whether he uses your water just because you're the first house, or because the other houses don't have taps. If the first, tell you neighbour that you've told him to use her tap in future, as you're on a meter.

We had a window cleaner as a kid who knocked on the door and asked my mum for a bucket of water, then walked off up the street with it. She sacked him and was outraged he'd ask for water to clean anything other than her house.

Get a lock for your outside tap.

How on earth does your window cleaner have them all as customers?!!

He has every house on our street, apart from one and I see him cleaning the back windows of many of the houses out the back, so I was just assuming numbers. But minimum 30, easily!

He knows we are on a meter now but most houses are metered around here, I don’t know anyone who isn’t on a water meter.

It’s theft of you are being charged for all the water for washing the windows get a lock for it and tell him he owes you some free windows washes

I’ll be getting a tap lock, thanks everyone. I didn’t know there was such a thing.

I wasn't sure how much water he's using. If it really is just a few buckets, it will be a negligible cost, so I wouldn't complain.

If it's like the window cleaners where I live, no buckets involved, they connect a very long hose straight from the tap to the device they use to clean windows, and the tap is open the whole time they are cleaning, that probably uses a bit more water. (Though I'm not sure if they have a switch at their end that can turn off the flow as they move from one window to the next.)

I would explain that you are on a meter and are not happy with the arrangement, maybe of your windows are washed for free once a month then an arrangement could be made:)

Water should be free for everyone anyway.

I was going to say YABU but I'm in Scotland and we don't have water meters, so if you're being charged for it then YANBU.

Our window cleaners bring their own water somehow.

Sorry I don’t think I explained very well.
Our outside tap used to be part of the alleyway at the back where people could pump water up, it was adapted to take water from the house supply and at some point the old owner of the house bought that piece of land. He takes a couple of buckets and then attaches a big red coiled snake hose to it.
I assume the other residents have “normal” outdoor taps.

Putting aside the legalities (yes, it is theft. And trespass, which constitutes burglary, if my memory is correct), as a matter of practicalities, I'd advise having an internal valve on the feed to the external tap to prevent it bursting in winter.

I fitted one to our garden tap after a hilarious experience with a frozen coiled hosepipe.

I didn't know this was a thing either and I'm the end house with an outside tap. I'm getting a tap lock!