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.

The things you learn. I knew nothing at all about cannabis until I read this thread.

I'd be dying in that kind of heat, OP. I just couldn't bear it. My house is draughty and freezing, according to my children a pleasantly cool temperature.

Check you’re not paying for their electricity through dodgy wiring that they stealing power (fire and electrocution risk). Call 101 today.

Omg I’m NOT calling the police on a DRUG RING!? This is real life!? They know where i live!

I cannot imagine how someone’s heating can heat up your entire flat to the extent that you’re too hot?!

Why would heating not be on 24/7? Do you just set the thermostat and leave it on?

I hate the cold btw so I’d Love this. Free heating!

Please call the police. They may have tampered with the gas meter, making their heating free and posing a huuuge fire risk to you and everyone in your block.

[quote DaisyStiener]@sashh no it did cross my mind , but it’s just one sad skinny teen. I don’t suppose he would one brought him up to me unless he thought I was soliciting earlier ?
No weird door activity ( my bedrooms above the hall/close door) so not like in/out all day. Opposite: barely see or hear them ! Hence why I thought they left of an evening
This is a nice area and there are 8 flats in my block. But I suppose these things do happen.[/quote]
Report it to the police now - seriously. There is potentially a human trafficking element involved. In H&S terms there is a huge fire risk to you and your neighbours if you are in a block of flats.

Australian living in the UK - we have our house around 23/4 and I wish heating one floor heated the rest! Absolutely I am sorry you have a problem with it being something other than normal heating.

It's really unlikely to be a drug ring and these people are quite used to being kicked out often. You can report anonymously.

@DaisyStiener

Omg I’m NOT calling the police on a DRUG RING!? This is real life!? They know where i live!

How would they know it was you that called the police? This is incredibly dangerous to live next to. Often the 'gardeners' are trafficked children. You need to call the police.

Unless you have evidence that they are also exploiting a few trafficked people to mind their alleged cannabis plants, PLEASE mind your own business and leave the police out of it. A few home grown marijuana plants is the absolute definition of a victimless crime and may well replace a few ounces of the less-ethically-grown kind- so, not just victimless but an actual good deed.

If you actually are bothered by the free heating then speak to them. They might not realise how much is leaking out (weed plants or no weed plants) and they could look at some better insulation.

@LucentBlade

When DH and I first dated he shared an office with two other junior academics. One was from India and one was from Malaysia. They bought in extra heaters and the office was like the hot house at Kew Gardens.

When I started my first job , my lovely boss bought me an extra heater to use when I was working with A0 in the big meeting room. He’s always held a special place in my heart.

Ring it and report it, OP. You don't need to give your name so there's no way for them to know it was you.

I get why it would be awkward to call the police but this happened to a house my b'n'law was renting - they had tapped into the gas line as a previous poster suggested to not draw attention to the heating bills and save money. Maybe call the gas company?
You are not the only person this has happened to so I am guessing the police have a procedure for managing this sort of thing.

@DaisyStiener

Omg I’m NOT calling the police on a DRUG RING!? This is real life!? They know where i live!

Call the police and explain your concerns. They often get tip offs from the electricity companies about stupendous usage/circuits tripping and you can ask that they give an excise for visiting. It could be the neighbours beside you/they could have followed a known dealer etc…..

IF they are growing Cannabis they will have tampered with the meter, and bypassed it for the electricity used for that.
It’s not likely that they have connected to anyone else’s supply as they don’t need to do that, and it could lead to much earlier discovery.
It could still be a fire risk though.

If it is a cannabis farm.

1. illegal trafficking of kids as gardeners is common
2. they are probably illegally tapping into the electricty which is a massive fire risk
3. the heaters/fans etc will be overloading the system, even if used legally.
4. cannabis farms are a massive fire risk.

i don;t think living over one is safe.
no-one will know who reported it, but phone police and report it.

Unless you have evidence that they are also exploiting a few trafficked people to mind their alleged cannabis plants, PLEASE mind your own business and leave the police out of it. A few home grown marijuana plants is the absolute definition of a victimless crime and may well replace a few ounces of the less-ethically-grown kind- so, not just victimless but an actual good deed.

And yet the details so far are pointing to trafficking and farm rather than Harry from the gardening club who likes a bit of space cake on a weekend.

@Helloise

Unless you have evidence that they are also exploiting a few trafficked people to mind their alleged cannabis plants, PLEASE mind your own business and leave the police out of it. A few home grown marijuana plants is the absolute definition of a victimless crime and may well replace a few ounces of the less-ethically-grown kind- so, not just victimless but an actual good deed.

If you actually are bothered by the free heating then speak to them. They might not realise how much is leaking out (weed plants or no weed plants) and they could look at some better insulation.

The heat they are using to heat the flat above them with windows open to 23 degrees is not just for a few plants, that’s a full on factory. The “gardener” left behind is living in shit conditions and often for no pay.

I bet a lot of you on this thread also reminded the teacher when she forgot to collect your homework 😂 why can’t you just let people live!

They've more than likely rigged the electricity meter to bypass it.

It's probably a fire hazard.

Cannabis farms in flats are small, but they don't give away their position to police heat scanners, the way houses do.

Interestingly learning a lot about cannabis farming/growing from mumsnetters on this thread.

Yes before homework abs not wanting your home to burn down are the same thing.

@ChristmasGrogu are you a yoga teacher because that is an amazing stretch

I thought I'd deleted the first picture.

I do apologise.