Neighbours cooking us alive ….

[DaisyStiener]

We live in a freezing but lovely townhouse/tenement /high ceiling, bay but single glazed flat.
It’s been freezing since Before Time
Heating is rubbish and often wear layers to keep warm/survive

About 3 months ago : we got new downstairs neighbours

They did a lot of building work and at first , we thought by the heat and the noise- that they were drying plaster or similar with industrial heaters of some sort ?
Turns out no: they are just from a much warmer country and have their heating on 24/7 !?

My eyeballs are drying out. It’s like a Sahara now
I’ve windows open constantly , but at least my washing dries quickly …

Is it even SAFE to have heating on 24/7? What kind of heating rattles a whole room? My cats are just lying in pools on the floor!

AIBU - you’ll age by dehydration, your cats will eventually jump out of the wide open windows , the noise will drive you mad , it’s bad for the environment
YABU- enjoy the heat ,for once - make a cocktail chillax, throw away your onesies as you won’t need them this winter.

Like others I'd say just enjoy the free heating and open the windows if it's too hot. I love windows open - fresh air is so important.

It is possible that it’s just their heating on full blast. I spend about £20 a month on gas in the winter (I have a gas cooker as well) purely because of the warmth from our neighbours. Unbearable in the summer though.

Just in case they are growing anything though, I’d check your current usage with your energy supplier, make sure all the batteries in your smoke alarms are working and have a grab bag ready.

Well, heat rises so that's something to consider too. Its possibly/probably warmer in your flat than theirs. I learnt during my student days that living on a higher floor = warmer, especially when in a block of flats. Enjoy the free heating!

Had a similar situation except we were the next tenants - moved into a (freezing, single glazing, poorly insulated) terrace in Sheffield, nearly had a heart attack when energy suppliers tried to set our bills based on previous occupants. They were honestly paying something like 600£, I can't remember if that was monthly or every two months but its was bonkers. Talking to neighbours it was four guys from Sri Lanka sharing, who had the heat on constantly. She also reckoned they got some of the benefit of it seeping through the walls.

I can completely understand why you'd feel it if its a flat underneath you, heat rises. Wouldn't automatically assume it was cannabis, that level of heat is usually people letting out properties solely to grow weed, if it was personal use you wouldn't have that much heat and usually the full on canabis farm set ups are houses not flats as there's less chance of detection.

I'm team enjoy the free heat. My friend lives in the states and its insane: energy is so cheap there that in their building they can't individually control the radiators, they're basically either on or off, so for the winter months her house is crazy hot and its all included in the rental price. So some people really do have it on 24/7. Not something I'd choose to spend my money on in the UK though.

Are they very old? My nan keeps her heating at a balmy 28 degrees - we have to take turns standing in the garden when we visit. Best thing is when she runs out of milk and you get to walk down to the shop!

I couldn’t be more jealous!

Free heating AND free drugs once you start the blackmailing!

My assumption was drugs too. Is anyone living there

This is what it was like living in university halls, had to have the windows open all year round. You'll be fine, unless they actually are growing cannabis, which is not the ideal neighbour behaviour.

Urgh I could not cope with that. My thermostat is set to 16° and sometimes 17° when particularly chilly.

Free heating.
I would be delighted.
They probably have a cannabis growhouse on the go.

I knew a couple from Iran, as in they were Iranian and had just moved here a short before I met them and they were horrified at the cold here and their house was an OVEN. Just as well they were high earners because the BILLS.

Their cats were just collapsed in bliss on the sofa the entire time.

Place a few damp cloths around or containers of water.

I hate being too hot, but with some water pits & open windows surely you'll be ok during the winter?!

If it's still like this in the summer then I'd need to do something about it, but hopefully they'll have realised the cost by then!

Part and parcel of living in an upper flat I think. We used to and it used to be so hot. I’d enjoy the free heating if I were you OP, think of all the washing you can get dry. Embrace wearing short pjs in the winter

Or they have illegally connected to someone else’s supply…. Possibly the OP’s!

That's what I immediately thought of too.

Urgh I couldn't stand it, I hate being too hot.

Ha maybe they enjoy cacti or palms? Indoor tomatoes?
Gro egg at 23 at the moment. And living room door is open … will update
Living room table is shuddering away with the vibration…
In all seriousness, I AM worried about a fire. I’ve a small baby and pets ! I was terrified when they first switched it on as I though they were builders , and leaving each day unattended!
I phoned my local fire station ( not 999 obviously) and asked if it was safe and the guy just laughed me off the phone and said not much we can do call when it eventually goes on fire!?

I would be worried about this.
I am a landlord and saw the results of my house being turned into a Cannabis farm.
The scorch marks on the woodwork and walls due to overheating indicated a huge fire risk.
The sounds you describe could easily be the huge acoustic fans used in the production. ( these were left in the property so I got a good look)
I did a bit of research at the time and it has a 3 months growing cycle. It only smells strongly when it is being harvested. ( it was in the loft and upstairs bedrooms and the smell downstairs was easily covered by air freshener).
It might of course just be your neighbour liking the heat, but 5 years ago I was told the running costs of the Cannabis farm were estimated to be upwards of £20k per year, so if they are genuine it will be costing them a fortune at present.
If possible make observations and look for signs/ patterns of growing. Also don’t be fooled by immaculate net curtains which appear to show the room behind. Window hangs are common.

They're downstairs and MIGHT be growing an illegal substance.

You do know the police search for 'farms' using infrared helicopter cameras which light up the roof of any building hot enough to be being used for that then smash down the doors and raid the building.

It happens round here all the time, make me paranoid because they always hover over our house for ages... probably because the building has quite the dodgy criminal past but we have lived here over a decade with no issue.

OP if it's really that hot you might be getting sharply awakened in the night by police battering down your doors.

If the room is rattling maybe they have a ceiling fan.

Free heat and the chance to have the wondows open all through the winter without worrying about escaping heat.

Sounds rather smashing to me

• I’m going to nosey in their window when I leave ,later. I want to see if the curtains are open ..

@Somanysocks

If the room is rattling maybe they have a ceiling fan.

Or some kind of generator.

OP is there a temp gauge on your phone?

The vibration does seem odd...

The heat wouldn’t worry me, but the vibrations actually shaking your furniture does sound right, and that would drive me bonkers

• doesn’t sound right I mean

Can you speak to your local pcso and say you think it’s a weed factory? The heat and vibration would concern me too.