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?

@Shinycat All I meant was that the OP asked a perfectly reasonable question and I don't understand how the thread has descended into unpleasant remarks from various posters

" there must be lots of people at work & no outside tap to access?"

Terraces here with no front gardens. I don't know if some have back gardens, but if they do, you couldn't access without going through the house.
Some people do have a window cleaner so he 's obviously not using a garden tap.
To the person who asked why people hire a window cleaner - it's because they can't reach themselves. I clean my own windows, but there's a large patch I just can't reach. I'm sure some people do it just for convenience too, like getting a cleaner.

Why do people pay to get their wheelie bins cleaned?? Why does it matter so much that you would actually spend money on this??

The guys who clean my wheelie bins also do windows,

Am I the only person who has never of people having their bins cleaned?

Why wouldn't you get your bin cleaned?
I don't mean you "should", just why is the idea so puzzling? Why do you get your car/your windows/your oven/ your carpet cleaned?

What...really? You see no difference?

It’s just so unnecessary. It’s a bin.

and sometimes something leaks and bins stink, so you get them cleaned.
How is that such a weird concept?

”and sometimes something leaks and bins stink, so you get them cleaned.”

Indeed. Making them less likely to attract foxes, rats, etc.

Not so easy to find this useful service, where I currently live.

Because it takes a few minutes to swill them out with a bucket of hot soapy water?
It's not the cleaning I didn't know about, it's that there are companies providing this service.

My window cleaner comes with his own water / a van full.

Because it takes a few minutes to swill them out with a bucket of hot soapy water?

so what? again, you can say the same for everything. Just because you could do it yourself, doesn't mean you want to.

Plus on a practical note ,my outside taps are at the back of the house. I wouldn't tip dirty water from the bin in my garden, and couldn't be bothered to faff about carrying enough water from the kitchen to the front garden.

There are a lot of chores that I could do in my own house. I chose not to. Cleaning the bin is one of them

There's also some fab companies that deep clean your buggy for you. So much help around!

I clean my household waste bin occasionally. I have had the odd dose of maggots in the summer (when I was putting manky cat food that he refused to eat in it), so can see the need.
If someone wants to pay someone else to do it for them, I don't see a problem. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I just said earlier that my bin gets covered in dog shit, is that not a reason to pay someone to clean it? Fuck me you have to explain every life decision on MN recently.

I’m off for a wee. White loo roll, quilted.

if someone wants to pay someone else to do it for them, I don't see a problem

Exactly.
I have a physical disability and often work nights - if you want me screaming in pain, washing my bins out at 6am then fair enough.

I don’t pay to to have my car washed but I don’t care that others do.

”Fuck me you have to explain every life decision on MN recently.”

Innit.

Good for you, kittenheels.
As it happens, I do pay someone to wash my car!

P.S. was the toilet roll with Aloe Vera or not?
(It might change my opinion of you, you see!)

Sounds like you need a bin lock as well as a tap lock.🙂

@coconuttelegraph sorry, I'm being blonde and tired today what I meant was a breakdown if you record the meter reading daily for a month and see how much more is being used on the day the cleaner washes the windows to the whole blinkin street. So it's a diy job really. If windows aren't being cleaned every month, the water company may be able to see a difference in use of water during the time when the cleaner has been vs. when he hasn't iyswim.
I don't know how often water companies take readings, but our usage statement always gives a daily usage amount. Maybe it's an average over the period though?

If you take one thing without asking, what else are you taking?

This seems a bit of a stretch.
You've said the tap has been out in the back alley for years, and that the window cleaner took over from his Dad. That the previous householder bought the land, and then, obviously (you didn't say this part, but it is fact) the introduction of water meters is a relatively new concept.
It has probably never crossed the mind of the window cleaner that you were on a meter, and being charged for this water.

Absolutely, 100%, tell him now you have found this out, and stop him from using it in the future, but someone carrying on a decades old practice of using a convenient tap for their business, when water has always been free (or you paid 'water rates' regardless of how much is used) does not make them anymore likely to steal something from your property than you would steal from anyone else.

Massive leap there.

Before you go faffing about with ordering and fitting locks, check if you have a separate stopcock for the outside tap?

I'd probably be happy for him to use my water, even if on a meter, in exchange for free window cleaning, he should have asked first though.

To those questioning the value of paying someone to pay for window cleaning, many people don't have Ladders or aren't confident using them. We sacked our window cleaning after we realised he often asked both DP and I for payment for the same clean.

He also had the habit of turning up the second I got home from work and all I wanted to do was have a wee, get the kettle on and get the cats fed, rather than hunt round for his money. Do our windows haven't been cleaned for years and are filthy despite living nowhere near any roads apart from our own very quiet street.

Soooo you’re going to fit a tap lock. Great! So now how does he get the water to clean your own windows? You’re going to have to be there to let him fill up which will be a bigger pain than a few quid

The lock won’t impact my windows being cleaned anymore as this cleaner won’t be cleaning my windows - as I’ve said up thread Babs.

”You've said the tap has been out in the back alley for years, and that the window cleaner took over from his Dad. That the previous householder bought the land, and then, obviously (you didn't say this part, but it is fact) the introduction of water meters is a relatively new concept. It has probably never crossed the mind of the window cleaner that you were on a meter, and being charged for this water.”

Nonsense. Anyone who helps themselves to supplies needed for their business, without paying the cost, is taking what doesn’t belong to him and needs to be stopped. Especially given that the supply in question is a dwindling resource which arguably we are all paying too little for at present. Paying the cost for what we use is one of the ways we get incentivised not to waste it. It was never free - unmetered homes don’t get free a free water supply - so the window-washer’s daddy was taking without paying and his son, as you say, is continuing the family tradition. It’s way past time for the family tradition to be stopped.

Whether it’s worth the OP's trouble to try to get him to pay up for what he has taken in the past, may be doubtful, but the fact that he took it without paying for it is crystal clear.