AIBU to think neighbours are using my dryer?

[DontThinkSoBro]

In our block of flats each floor consists of 2 flats which share a drying room on the landing. The drying rooms are jointly owned by the two flats, we have a key each & our own tumble dryers on each side of the room.

New neighbours have moved in - lovely so far, no issues at all... except over the weekend I found one of their sons socks in my dryer & last night I found one of the woman’s socks in my dryer. 100% no mistaking that they are theirs as we only have plain socks & these are most definitely a little boys socks & a woman’s pair of patterned socks.

I absolutely don’t want to cause an argument about it. Could there be another simple explanation that I’m not thinking of as to how twice now, their socks have ended up in my dryer?

How would I approach this without causing a rift with otherwise very nice people?

I would put a lock on my dryer.

@DontThinkSoBro

For clarity there’s a very obvious their side and ours in the shared room. When they moved in we had a whole conversation about it l, so no question that they are mistaken..

The dryers are our own, run off our own mains etc.

Return the sock and have another conversation, along the lines of @Stormwhale's suggestion.

"Hi neighbour, please don't use our drier as it isn't fair for us to have to pay to dry your clothes. Hope you are settling in well."

And - I'd also look into making sure it couldn't be used by anyone else. Where is the socket it plugs into?

Ideally, the socket is inside your flat and you just switch the socket off, only putting it on when you're heading to the dryer yourself.

If it's in the drying room, search on "electric socket lock box" and see if any of them are suitable for the space. Then you can switch the socket off then lock it shut, or lock the plug out of the socket. If no lock boxes are suitable, then I'd consider removing the fuse from the plug every time I finished using my machine, it only takes a minute to do.

If you know the dryer is disabled, you won't have that nagging feeling that despite the conversation they're still using it.

I'd just lock the socket.

If they are doing it to save their own electric then all telling them will do is make them double check they haven't left anything in your dryer.

If it is a simple error then they won't care you've put a lock on your wall socket.

@Pinkflipflop85

I would be tempted to hide something in there that will melt and ruin their clothes.

But I'm a passive aggressive cow!

What if you forget to take it out and ruin yours?

I once lived in a building that had a shared laundry room on each floor. This one cheeky bitch used to go and take other peoples' clothes out of the washing machine half washed so she could use the machine. We all started watching to see who it was.

So she went and did that and went back to her flat. This one guy then went in and dumped bleach in the washing machine and a cardboard box so her clothes were thoroughly fucked.

We were all perched by our doors watching as she went in thinking the cycle had finished and went to get her clothes.

She never did that again.

@NVision

You need to get a folding security post in front of the dryer door

A penguin bollard, maybe?

Seriously - mention it to her, then take the fuse out.

Install a giant forcefield that surrounds your dryer.
Drag the dryer into your flat when you are not using it.
Superglue the door shut.
Get a solicitor to write a strongly worded letter.

Or just bloody tell them that you are not paying to dry their laundry and would they please stop using it.

If they are doing it to save their own electric then all telling them will do is make them double check they haven't left anything in your dryer.

Hand't thought of this.

Use their dryer for a couple of loads. Also, take the fuse out of ours.

Cheeky gits!

Take the clothes back and tell them they have the wrong dryer.
Ask if they want your bill, too.

@AllyBama

I agree with PP who said if you speak to them about it they’ll just be more careful about clearing out their stuff from your dryer next time.

It’s obvious it’s deliberate if as you say there’s no confusing whose dryer is whose and also that you have the nice new one.

Put a lock on the socket or remove the fuse as PP have suggested

Yes, I agree. I was reading the replies about tallking to them, as well as OP's posts stating that they know what's what there.

Seems to me they are CFs. I'd put a lock around the socket. Dryers I've had in the past seems to eat up electricity, so no chance I'd want to pay for someone else to use my dryer.

If you want to be really PA, you could mention that you want to change the locks on the drier room.

"It seems some CF has been using my drier, I can't believe the nerve of some people, it's theft really! Have you noticed anything?"

I’d just return the socks and then work out how to stop them from being able use it, if you can.

If you’re able to turn it off or install a lockable socket box then it doesn’t matter what their intentions were, they simply can’t use it anymore.

I’ve lived in flats for over a decade and I’ve spent too much time trying to resolve communal issues with varying degrees of CF neighbours now I just get on and deal with my own things.

A new couple started filling our bin with all their smelly bin items (curry takeaway, nappies, food waste, etc.) and kept their bin for the dry, odourless waste. Didn’t engage, just bought a bin lock and smiled next time I saw them. I really cba anymore! 😂

Honestly if they're the type to use your dryer to save electricity. A quick work won't cut it. I'd get myself a socket lock.

@Hellocatshome

Do they know the dryers are wired up to each flats own electric supply therefore using your dryer is a costing you money. They might be thinking if they do two loads of drying at once it will be quicker and not realise this costs you money. I would return the socks and ask them if their dryer is broken in a friendly neighbourly concern way. If they say no I would say you obviously don't mind on occasion seen as they have young kids if one wet the beds for instance but apart from that if they could make sure they only use their dryer as its obviously increasing your electric bill.

This seems nice, and detailed enough to show you care without being sarky. Personally I wouldn't say the 'you can use it on occasion' thing though, because nice people would ask you anyway and cheeky fuckers will take the absolute broadest definition of occasion...

[quote DontThinkSoBro]@Cavagirl it’s literally a rectangle room with my dryer on the left (my flats on the left) & their dryer on the right (their flats on the right)

For further clarity our side also has shelves with our stuff on it next to our dryer. There’s absolutely nothing to mistake which side belongs to each flat, it’s that basic[/quote]
I'd mark the levels of my washing powered etc as well.

Having a word won't be enough because they know which is theirs!

If taking out the drawer means it won't work then I would do that for a while. Or fitting a lock to sockets if you can do that easily.

They know that they're using the wrong dryer as when they bought the property they would have been told which one was included in the sale.

Plus Op has told them!

Oh, yeah, they know. There's no mistake. They're taking the piss. So go with a socket lock, take the water drawer out or take the fuse out.

If you speak to them they’ll just get more sneaky, OP has said they already know it’s her dryer. I wouldn’t even engage with them, I’d just get a lock or turn the electric off at the fuse box if possible.

Screw that! This is MN! Post a note through their door. Log it with 101!

And if that doesn't work, get your solicitor to send them a "cease and desist" letter.

Build a wall.

I think you should wait until everyone has gone out, burn the house down and run away with the insurance money.

@HarryElephante

I can't believe the amount of suspicious people on here, telling OP to install locks etc.

Society is going to freaking pot! Just talk to them!

Or they've lived with pisstaking neighbours so many times they can no longer be arsed and just put a lock because it's obvious these people are using the OPs dryer to avoid paying to dry their clothes.

They’re just being CFs. I’d do the fuse/socket lock thing. No point having a polite word as they will definitely just be more careful about being caught in future

I have a second possible explanation. You say they have a young child? Is it possible they take the child in the drying room with them and the child has put the socks in your dryer while the parent wasn’t looking? I only suggest this as it’s something my toddler would definitely do.

Tbf if the previous owner didn't mention anything other than "you have a drier in the laundry room" would you use the manky old one or nice new one if entering the room and finding two driers available? I'd suggest a "don't know if it was mentioned but you have a specific drier, it's the one on the right" conversation, then look at putting your flat number on the drier door, like you do for a wheelie bin, and a socket lock if it continues.