AIBU to be annoyed with my neighbour?

[Riverrushing21]

Bear with me on the background here: We live in an end of terrace house with a front and back garden (fenced in) but alongside our back garden is a pathway to other houses in the estate. There’s a huge, long strip of land in between our garden fence and the pathway and it has become really overgrown over the past few months.

When we first moved in (rented) we didn’t even think about maintaining it, as it’s outside the boundary of our garden and isn’t an area we would go out and sit in- we would literally be sat on the side of a path opposite people’s doorsteps. We have since learned that it is our responsibility though, so we are getting a gardener to come and tackle it, as I am pregnant and DP gets horrendous hay fever. To be honest, it’s not really a priority of things to sort right now, but we are getting it sorted all the same.

Anyway, this morning a neighbour whose house is opposite the pathway, knocked on our door and asked what we are intending to do about it! AIBU to think that this is a really snobby and entitled thing to do? It’s not blocking access to anywhere, there’s no rubbish or dangerous materials on it (just weeds) so apart from it looking bad I don’t really see how it’s affecting him to be honest. Was tempted to tell him to pay someone himself if he’s that bothered! Maybe it’s the pregnancy hormones but it’s really riled me!

Has your landlord told you its your responsibility? Sounds like a strange arrangement.

Slightly confused. Is the overgrown path impeding the others ability to use the path.

I think that the onus here was on the landlord because he didn't say that you were responsible for it.

Do you think that the neighbours will complain to the landlord

Perhaps he's worried about the weeds and grass going to seed, which will cause a lot of work in his own garden?

With a rental property, I’d expect the landlord to deal with that sort of maintenance.

I wouldn't expect to have to deal with that if I was renting. (have rented for years)

Does it actually say in your contract that you have to maintain it? If not, just because your landlord owns it doesn't make it your responsibility.

Do other people have to walk past the overgrown area to get to their houses ? _ they might get horrendous hay fever too and prefer it not to have pollen covered weeds there.

In any case I don't see that it is snobby to ask you - they aren't implying they are better than you, and it isn't entitled because you are supposed to be doing something about it. I think since it is your responsibility and you've done nothing about it up until now people might be getting a bit fed up and wondering why you haven't attended to it.

Have you organised the gardener yet ? Did you tell the man who came round that it was in hand? If you had he might have gone away quite happy and you wouldn't be so worked up over nothing

I'd let go of your angst and get a move on and sort it.

But monty don says not to mow?

AIBU to think that this is a really snobby and entitled thing to do?

Yes very unreasonable. He only asked a question

My old neighbour used to do what you did and it caused the whole street to have an absolute nightmare with weeds. Agree with Pp that it’s not your problem though as you’re just tenents. The landlord needs to fix it

I assume it’s part of the garden and just access path for the other terraces, so your contract says you need to maintain the garden? It’s just you assumed It wasn’t part of the garden?

I don’t think it’s snobby or entitled to ask you to get it sorted. No. It is your job to sort it. And no one wants to look or traverse an eyesore.

Just get it sorted.

Yabu.
It obviously looks awful and without being rude but the people who have bought their house in the area and look after their gardens etc... don't want to see it. Call it snobby but its well known that people who rent don't care!
Call your landlord if you can't or won't sort it.

@Ozanj

My old neighbour used to do what you did and it caused the whole street to have an absolute nightmare with weeds. Agree with Pp that it’s not your problem though as you’re just tenents. The landlord needs to fix it

That’s not necessarily true. If it’s part of rh garden and the contract says she’s to maintain it then yes it’s her responsibility.

I agree it’s a bit of a weird one! Like I said when we first moved in we were unaware that it was our job to maintain it, it looks like a communal part of the estate so we just assumed it would come under the bits the council trim from time to time.

Since realising it’s our responsibility, we spoke to the landlord about getting it sorted and he suggested (and is happy to pay for) getting the turf taken up and stones put down so it doesn’t have to keep being maintained cos it’s such a huge and pointless space. We didn’t want to get a gardener round to sort it until the landlord was ready to get the stones put down. As it happens the gardener is coming tomorrow and I did tell the neighbour that.

I should add that I wasn’t rude to the neighbour and he went away happy, but afterwards I just thought it was a bit off and wondered what others would think. We can’t actually see it from inside our house or garden so maybe it is worse for the neighbours than for us.

And it’s not part of our garden at all- it’s on the other side of our garden fence. It just happens to be next to our house and nobody else's.

This makes no sense, who is saying it’s your responsibility to maintain it? If it’s not part of the garden? You rent, renters don’t need to maintain what’s not part of their property, just abide by the contract.

Our neighbour was like that when we rented - I think some people like to tell tenants what to do when they may be more reserved with other home owners. He complained (the day after we moved in) that our hedge was growing over the wall at the side of our garden and was dangerous for people walking past. It wasn’t dangerous and due to the layout of the road, nobody ever walked on that bit of pavement.

He also complained to us that people were parking next to our house and then getting the train into town and wanted to know what we would do about it. I told him there was nothing we could do, and it was a spare bit of road that wasn’t outside anyone’s house but ours, so there was no issue. He had 2 cars and a double drive way.

Some people just like to be in control and I completely understand why it got your back up.

Is it possible to show a diagram, I'm having a hard time picturing this and understanding how its your responsibility.

Anyway thanks for all your responses! As it’s being sorted tomorrow anyway I guess it’s irrelevant and I should just stop worrying about it! Interesting to hear different opinions on it though.

It's good you werent rude to the neighbour as all he did was ask you a question - and one he's entitled to ask. How is that "snobby"?

Im confused as to why/how land outwith your (rental) property is your responsibility 🤔

Why snobbish and entitled though? He only asked , what was snobbish and entitled about that ?
You’re sorting it so what’s the problem ?

@SmellThat

Why snobbish and entitled though? He only asked , what was snobbish and entitled about that ? You’re sorting it so what’s the problem ?

You’re right there is no problem, I just overreacted and took to mumsnet to vent a little I do find it interesting though the different views, as I said.

Some people roll their eyes and go “ohhh they are the renters” like your a lower class citizen and treat you as such.

Sounds like it’s sorted, I’d have called it a wildlife patch though.

A wildlife patch, I love that! Haha x

@Riverrushing21 👍