Just discovered we live next door to a hoarder - What to do?

[FaLaLaLaLaaaar]

This post makes me sound like a pearl-clutching nosey neighbour, but I honestly don’t know what to do!

We recently moved into a new semi-detached home. Our neighbours to the right (not the one we are attached to) have always been quite pleasant and friendly. They’re a couple in their mid fifties and we often see him going to work, but she stays home.

They always keep their curtains closed, so their house always looks dark and you’d never know they were home.

Whilst popping out to the car earlier, I noticed their living room curtains were open (they don’t have any nets) and a light bulb was on, so I could see straight in. I WAS SO SHOCKED! Their entire living room is piled high to the light bulb with boxes and magazines! Every single space was full and some had fallen down. I am guessing their cat must have pulled the curtains down as god know how they would’ve got to them to open them!

DH said when he was trimming our trees he saw in from the garden and their dining room and kitchen appear to be in similar conditions. I’m assuming this means every room in their house must be like this too.

What should we do? I don’t want to get them in any trouble, but this is a massive fire hazard and although we are not attached to them, I do worry about the amount of flammable materials in there.

So do we just ignore this and do nothing?

Or should we call the fire brigade or something?

@AuntyBumBum

How is it a fire risk? My home is full of highly flammable material - wooden floorboards and joists to start with. Just having flammable material in your house is not dangerous. If the electrics aren't safe their house may burn down. But so would yours if yours weren't. Theirs will just burn for longer.

Having a house full of flammable materials with no safe clear exits IS a fire risk. The fire service will come and assess the risk if you ask them to (obviously with person's consent) and score the risk out of 10. Hoarding is high risk.

Everyone replying to this thread telling OP to mind their own business ...has never lived next door to a hoarder.

We used to live above a hoarder in a 1st floor flat and he lived directly below us.

The entire block stank to high heaven, he didn't practice good personal hygiene in addition to his hoarding.

This smell was even more pungent in the summer time. It was disgusting. I had just had my daughter who was literally a newborn having to grow up with this.

The last straw was one day when I was having a restless night, middle of summer so the windows were open, I heard rustling outside. Just thought it was him letting his dog out into the garden.

Nope. Rats. Everywhere. We moved out of there so quickly our feet didn't touch the ground.

Looking back, I wish I had reported him to whoever you are supposed to report to, so I would highly suggest that you ignore everyone saying to mind your business and do exactly the opposite. Report them and put your mind at ease. Good luck OP.

Fire risk also because unlikely to be keeping electrics in good order

What do you do... nothing.......it's not your house

Some awful advice on this thread.

OP I work in Adult Safeguarding for the Local Authority.

Whilst there is often little we can do if the person refuses support and is deemed to have capacity, it is certainly worth making a safeguarding referral to the local Council Adult Social Care team. You can do this anonymously if you prefer.

Hoarding is a sign of self neglect. It maybe that one adult has capacity but the other does not, in which case ASC would need to ascertain if the other person is vulnerable and being put at risk. It absolutely is a fire risk, not only to themselves but also to adjoining properties.

I'm afraid the typical Mumsnet response of "mind your beeswax" does not apply here.

www.london-fire.gov.uk/safety/carers-and-support-workers/hoarding-disorder/

but most of the advice applies to vulnerable people.
there is no reason to think these people are vulnerable. living like that does not make them vulnerable.
british people very highly prize privacy; my home is my castle.
nothing about these people affects or inconveniences the OP.

RoyalFamilyFan is spot on in their observations above.

@RememberThePenguins you will see the people who self neglect in other ways and whose hoarding causes issues. I know one person like this.
The other people I know who hoard are clean, wash regularly, wash their clothes, have no issues with cleanliness in the kitchen. The only obvious self-neglect is failing to ensure a reasonable number of possessions.
The other two people I know who hoard have jobs, and very clearly have capacity. But the help they need is to deal with grief and childhood messages. But neither are interested and think they have no psychological issues.
Hoarding is incredibly common. There is an attempt by some to see all hoarding as linked to dirty houses and poor sanitation. That can be an element of hoarding, but it is far from automatic. Two of the three hoarders I know have no smell from their house. The rooms with lots and lots of clutter now noticeably need redecorating, but this is impossible because of the level of possessions stacked up.

@alexdgr8 thanks. I have read a lot on this after helping a close friend who hoards clear her house twice. That reading made me realise I am totally wasting my time. If she ever says anything about the mess, I remind her I am more than happy to help her. But I know now it has to be her decision.

To all those saying "mind your own business" let tell you about my hoarder great-aunt's garden flat which I only saw after she was taken into hospital following a fall in the street. I had been refused access to the flat for over 20 years, as had any builders or maintenance people.

*Kitchen surfaces piled high with cardboard boxes and packaging, literally a 15cm square of surface clear for food / hot drink prep. Papers and packaging sliding willynilly onto the gas hob.
*A small but steady leak of gas from said gas hob.
*All ground floor doors and windows at the rear of the building blocked with 6ft+ wall of boxes and furniture. No access to rear garden at all (so it was completely overgrown with brambles).
*Water running down the wall in the back bedroom due to a leaky, I maintained flat roof.
*Narrow passages between rooms carved between ceiling height piles of boxes and rubbish.
*Unchecked 1960s wiring - inadequate number of available sockets leading to extension leads plugged into extension leads plugged into extension leads.
*Table lamps, fan heaters and fairy lights plugged into the above extension leads but fallen over and lolling amongst knee-deep loose papers and random clothing items
*No central heating: old fashioned gas and electric fires in every room, not serviced or checked for decades.
*A wall of screwed up plastic carrier bags stuffed into more bags blocking half the width of the flat's hallway
*Food items - biscuits, cakes, prepackaged sandwiches - strewn everywhere amongst other debris, along with used incontinence pads.

Now tell me that it's none of their neighbour's business how people choose to live their lives. Would you rest easy living next to or above that?

Until you've seen a hoarder's home firsthand, you can't imagine how bad things can get (and yet the hoarder themselves often presenting as smart, clean and well dressed).

That’s a flat. Totally different scenario.

I think the only thing you can do is make sure your insurance cover is excellent and paid up to date just in case.

Sadly, there’s nothing you can do about someone hoarding in their own home (that I’m aware of).

YABVU there is no risk to you and the poor people might have awful mental health issues. Be a good friend to them or keep your beak out

It's nothing to do with you. The house doesn't adjoin you. Just stop being so nosy. Any hoarding is your neighbours problem not yours. You seem Desperate to get involved for no reason.
I have an elderly relative who hoards. I phoned social services. They sent the fire brigade round. They offered to fit a smoke alarm. He refused. Social services determined relative has capacity. Its his own house. Nothing can be done.

To those saying it's none of OPs business. It absolutely is if there's a fire hazard next door! I'd speak to the council for advice. Hoarders put themselves and others at risk.

@MyGreenTutu that sounds just awful Did your Great-Aunt manage to live there again?

@RememberThePenguins and the other posters who have offered advice on who to contact, thank you. I do think they both seem fully competent, so don’t think they need social care involvement. Hi it then again, I’m basing that on a handful of quick chats and pet talk. I’d also never have guessed they were hoarders, so maybe I’m not the best judge of that either.

@myrtleWilson thank you, that’s really useful.

I’ve had a look at the hoarding scale and based on what I saw through the windows and what DH saw from the back I’d say they’re possibly worse than the 9! The whole room looked filled, with no gaps around the edge.

DH also ranked as 9 from what he saw.

Oh dear, I think I am going to have to call the Fire Brigade in the new year.

I’m aware the PP advised their family member would not have been helped by a neighbour calling and the PM I received form a lovely lady in a similar circumstance also advised against my ‘helping’ making things worse as the services they can offer are not always sufficient for the issue.

But now I know, I do feel responsible. I wish I didn’t know! But I do and I don’t think I can just ignore this or do nothing.

Outcomes:

• if I call and there is no issue or they are know to FB, then I’ve done no harm.

• if I don’t call and they have a fire or something awful happens, I’d never forgive myself.

I’d rather be wrong and call than stay quite. I guess I’ve made my mind up.

Massive thanks for all the posters who responded (even the mean ones) I have read all the replies. I feel better having made a decision.

Glad you will report. I dealt with this all the time in my old job.

MYOB.

Thanks @CornishTiger, I hope they can get the support they need/want and that maybe this will make a difference to them.

Everyone on here is being so rude. The op is clearly worried about them.

They are obviously unwell. Well done op!

What a bloody interesting pain in the arse you are.

Interfering. You're certainly not interesting.

I'm generally a fan of minding your own business but I agree with you op. I'd be concerned about vermin and the fire risk.

What do you do.....

Mind your own business!