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?

This site is honestly ridiculous, it would be funny if it wasn't so sad. Page after page after page of thread about Arthur, and Star, all about what people would have done, how they would have intervened, shame on all the professionals who failed.
Just four short weeks later, it's business as usual on here. Mind your business, don't be nosy, get a hobby.
Honestly a lot of people on this site really need to take a look at yourselves.

As others have said, it is important that Fire Services know (if possible) about hoarding properties so they are prepared if they have to attend - I've worked in multi agency protocols designed to do this. If I were you OP, I'd consider a call to FB or SS or social landlord if they are renting and if they do know about it (not that they'll tell you) - all good, and if they don't their hoarding policy will kick into play

You mention a pet cat.

Any signs there may be more animals in there?

Pet hoarding is incredibly cruel.

@ALongHardWinter the Fire Services along with other professionals work on a multi agency approach to hoarding so would most certainly a way forward for the OP to share concerns

@JackieWeaverHandforthCouncil

I don’t think you should ignore this at all. The PPs laughing at you for being nosey are the types you see on the news after the tragedy has happened wringing their hands making out there was nothing anyone could do or nobody saw it coming.

If more people looked out for others we’d see a lot less ‘we’ll learn lessons’ enquiries.

This.

I have a close friend who is a hoarder. There is nothing you can do. She has been helped twice to clear her house, she just refills it.

Several of my service users are hoarders, now living in local authority housing, some were home owners before moving. Hoarding absolutely is a safeguarding issue. It's also a fire safety issue not only for the person who is hoarding but for surrounding, attached neighbours.

If I were you I would ring your local authority adult care dept. You may be able to make a referral on line. You could also contact local environmental health. The fire service do offer advice and support for hoarders. They make regular checks to one of my service users. I would contact them from your fire safety point of view. They can offer you advice.

As a hoarder myself ( but not to this extent. I sought help before it got anywhere near being piled to the ceiling). If you want to help, befriend them, ask them round for a cup of tea. Low self esteem and low mood doesn't help the condition.

But in all honesty you can not help them. It's a very complex condition and the vast majority of hoarders do not even see it as problem. I went to a group before covid and less than half of us was their under our own steam. Even then that half including me had little concept of how to get better. Even with every tool available to us and two phycs running the group we was a bit hopeless.

Just kind your own business, my friends parents are hoarders and it is really sad, both retired gps.
Their life is weighted down by their habits, it started with a bereavement as most hoardings do. My poor friend has tried everything.

Mind

If the house is piled that high with magazines then it's a fire hazard and it IS the neighbours' business, especially since it's an attached house. But obviously it needs to be handled delicately. The fire service is a good idea to start with - they can go and give some sympathetic advice, which will probably be ignored... but you can also report to the council who can get involved, I think (untidy site?)

@XenoBitch

You wouldn't (I hope) ignore someone who was self-harming or displaying other destructive / risky behaviours. Hoarding is no different

I am that neighbour. I just get gossiped about, and when people see me, they turn to their friend and do the twirly finger thing on the side of their head.
They have stood and watched me get forced into cop cars and ambulances. Not one person in the 10 years I have lived here, has actually asked if I am ok.

If you care why don’t you ask if you can help, rather than being a nosy gossip? My frail elderly mum had an ambulance each day for 6 weeks picking taking her to hospital for chemotherapy. Not once did the neighbours ask how she was, and if they could help, and this was during a pandemic. But they had no problem about complying about her overgrown garden! You sound like someone with no empathy and too much time on your hands. Instead of gossiping on here go and offer to mow their lawn or help with repairs!

Sorry comment was directed at OP . I was agreeing with poster I quoted

@Coffeeandsnow who's the nosy gossip? The op is asking what she should do?

How is it a fire risk? My home is full of highly flammable material - wooden floorboards and joists to start with.
Stacks and stacks of paper make excellent fire lighters, but also the amount of stuff means that electrics and particularly sockets are likely to be covered, and not maintained.

@Coffeeandsnow ah I see. I actually think it's sensible for the OP to approach a service that has skills and a experience in supporting people who are hoarders. It's highly unlikely that the neighbours would allow her to go anywhere near the house as they won't want her to see what they have done. Of course she should be friendly when she sees them, ask after their health etc, but they'd be mortified if she tried to broach the subject of their hoarding, unless they bring it up and are happy to talk about it first.

I have sockets behind wooden furniture and my house is very tidy. And what do you do to maintain sockets?

@AlwaysLatte

If the house is piled that high with magazines then it's a fire hazard and it IS the neighbours' business, especially since it's an attached house. But obviously it needs to be handled delicately. The fire service is a good idea to start with - they can go and give some sympathetic advice, which will probably be ignored... but you can also report to the council who can get involved, I think (untidy site?)

Council can only get involved if an environmental heath risk i.e. rats or similar.

@CornishTiger

Ffs. Some people really have no idea.

The Care Act 2014 recognises hoarding as one of the manifestations of self-neglect and requires all public bodies to safeguard people at risk. You need to make a safe guarding reflection. This will prompt a multi agency approach including fire service trying to conduct a home safety risk assessment. This will highlight any concerns both to the occupants and the fire fighters that may attend.

Social services will look at if there is any self neglect and offer advice and assistance as necessary. If they have capacity they can refuse this of course.

With all due respect that’s a joke. My garden was (and is) a mess, mostly because I’m disabled and I can’t do anything about it. People reported me as a ‘safe guarding’ concern and all that happened was I got harassed by the council who refused to actually help me clear it. No one cares.

Look at it from the other angle, what happened if you had a house fire and it spread? And they had trouble getting out due to hoarding? I would absolutely report.

I have boxes piled almost to the ceiling in my dining room and one of my bedrooms. I am not a hoarder I am packing to move house. If my neighbours looked through my windows and then reported me to the police because of this, I'd be furious. How do you know they are not just moving house or storing things prior to getting rid of them?

@RoyalFamilyFan

I have sockets behind wooden furniture and my house is very tidy. And what do you do to maintain sockets?

So you honestly don't think that a house where each room is filled up to the ceiling with stuff, with limited ways in and out, is no more of a health a safety risk than an electrical socket behind a bookcase? Really? In that case why do social services Health services and the fire brigade bother putting resources into supporting hoarders, why have they bothered making hoarding a diagnosable mental illness? Yep let's just ignore it all, shall we?

Of course you should be concerned, it's a health hazard, and the couple may be struggling.

It is a fire risk. Unlike wooden floorboards and furniture, firefighters cant navigate piles of burning papers or around piles of crap in total blindness from smoke. They came and did a talk to us.