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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to padlock my gate?

252 replies

KTMP16 · 26/05/2022 15:26

Im the last in a row of houses so mines a semi and iv a sidegate....
So my problem is my next door neighbour (and often his kids) will leave the back of their house...casually stroll through my garden and out of my gate, leaving it unlocked for when they come back.

They seem to just think they have the right to do it - theres a gate in the fence (there before i moved in) its just feels so intrusive and I dont know what to do im not a confrontational person. I did padlock it in the past and say i didnt want it unlocked as my young kid would spy his chance to leg it. They just kept knocking on every other day with a plea for me to undo it for them for one reason or another so i gave up. I dont understand why they cant use their own front door?! It doesnt make things quicker!

The guy has literally just walked past my window wheeling his bike and Im fuming and thought id turn to the wise people of mumsnet for advice!

OP posts:
Original poster
KTMP16 · 26/05/2022 19:58

Cant believe how many replies there has been on this 😂
Thanks your all your help

I had never heard of access rights so thats been informative. I will check this with landlord! (no1 else needs to tell me lol iv got that message now lol)
Though like a pp said if this was the case then he would have mentioned it the first time it was padlocked surely? I reckon top class CF!

It wasnt mentioned when i moved in im 100% sure as it would have been a dealbreaker - use to have gangs of teenage lads mooching right past my living room whilst sat there breastfeeding :-s
Its really intrusive!

OP posts:
Whatsonmymindgrapes · 26/05/2022 20:01

Why would they have access rights in your garden?

ElCoh · 26/05/2022 20:05

Is it your gate though?

You need to SPEAK TO YOUR LANDLORD, just in case you didn't get that memo.

Harridan1981 · 26/05/2022 20:16

I would suspect it wasn't mentioned as it appeared obvious...the positioning of gates and lack of access to mid terraces. It's hugely common.

CaptainMyCaptain · 26/05/2022 20:18

Whatsonmymindgrapes · 26/05/2022 20:01

Why would they have access rights in your garden?

This has been explained many times. It is a normal arrangement in older terraced houses with no other access to the rear especially in the North.

CaptainMyCaptain · 26/05/2022 20:19

Harridan1981 · 26/05/2022 20:16

I would suspect it wasn't mentioned as it appeared obvious...the positioning of gates and lack of access to mid terraces. It's hugely common.

Yes.

ConfusedElephant · 26/05/2022 20:21

Firstly you don't live in a semi!
You live in an end terrace..

Secondly, have a look in your neighbour's garden - is there a gate between his garden and the other neighbours garden?
If so, he has rights to access your gate.
A few houses will have access.
So you can't complain in that scenario.

Lavenderlast · 26/05/2022 20:47

Go to the Land Registry website, do a search for your address, pay for a copy of the title (should cost about £2-3) that should tell you if they have a legal access right.

Also ask landlord.

They may have a right to cross - but also they may not.

concernedreracistelement · 26/05/2022 20:50

Where is the other similar thread please?

galvanizethis · 26/05/2022 20:51

As soon as people realise you're a single parent on your own, they'll massively take the piss. I've had it happen no end of times. If they thought there was a man around, they'd not have the nerve. Anyway, good luck. Seems like plenty of good advice to work with here.

withacherryonthetop · 26/05/2022 20:54

My mum is in a middle terrace and has access through her neighbours garden and gate. She always feels really awkward about using it even though she has right of access so hardly ever does. I think if the terrace doesn’t have an alleyway for the middle houses, then it’s likely the middle ones have right of way to the end gates

Rosscameasdoody · 26/05/2022 20:58

Check there’s no easement and if there isn’t, have the gate taken out and a fence panel put in. Either that or padlock the gate and have a notice put up telling people they have no right of way, your garden is private so please don’t ask.

worriedatthistime · 26/05/2022 21:29

Do they have the right of access ? Many houses around here do have rights across someones gardens but they are usually terrace

SlightlyGeordieJohn · 26/05/2022 21:33

worriedatthistime · 26/05/2022 21:29

Do they have the right of access ? Many houses around here do have rights across someones gardens but they are usually terrace

As is the OP’s house.

worriedatthistime · 26/05/2022 21:33

@MagneticRubberDucks but if they have a legal right of access then you could be taken to court, your in the wrong not your neighbours
When people but houses like this they are aware and it put us off getting a house as i didn't want people strolling through

SlightlyGeordieJohn · 26/05/2022 21:33

Rosscameasdoody · 26/05/2022 20:58

Check there’s no easement and if there isn’t, have the gate taken out and a fence panel put in. Either that or padlock the gate and have a notice put up telling people they have no right of way, your garden is private so please don’t ask.

She’s renting, she needs permission from the landlord to do that.

worriedatthistime · 26/05/2022 21:34

@Caminante if its a right of access it can't just be moved

worriedatthistime · 26/05/2022 21:36

@Stressybetty but you were in the wrong as they had a legal right to use the access, its your agent/ landlords fault for not telling you and putting a lock in meant you were in breach not them

Mummyoflittledragon · 26/05/2022 21:40

I would suspect it wasn’t mentioned as it appears obvious

Only to those, who’ve come across this scenario. I didn’t know about such easements until after I started looking for my first house to buy. I had previously rented on an old end terrace and my neighbours didn’t have such an easement - can’t remember what they did for access.

As a ll, I would consider having a neighbour walking through the garden to potentially affect a tenant’s quiet enjoyment of the property. Ie would someone with a dog or small child want to take the house? The property price reflects this, as should the rental figure. Therefore I think mentioning this is to be highly pertinent.

worriedatthistime · 26/05/2022 21:41

@PeekabooAtTheZoo it is in certain areas , around here Loads of the victorian terraces and some later are like this
My mums victorian terrace in london and others i knew never had the same set up
The gates here are always right close to the house even if the garden is really long and a back path would make more sense for privacy, but then it would come down to people looking after it
My brother just bought a terrace and he has this although he is the one with right of way through the neighbours
He rarely uses it though and keeps bin out the front, but he could use it a 100 times a day if he wanted

Original poster
KTMP16 · 26/05/2022 21:44

I wouldnt say its so obvious as to not mention it while viewing? I assumed my garden was mine and not a path for the neighbours - especially right next to the living room window!

I would assume if you have a house in the middle of a row you'd use your front door to get to your front street?

There isnt a gate at the other side of his afaik - iv never seen anyone from any other houses come through and i dont think anyone traipsing thru the garden of the house on the other end either 🤔

OP posts:
worriedatthistime · 26/05/2022 21:46

@Mummyoflittledragon until i moved to area where i am now i wasn't aware as in london i hadn't seen this set up near me
But where i am now its really common , not ideal and some if the gardens are so long that a path at the back taking a little garden would seem to make more sense
We refused a house as the neighbour had access across the garden as we have dogs and the neighbours had kids who we were told used the gate regularly and it was also practically under the kitchen window

lisavanderpumpscloset · 26/05/2022 21:48

Sounds like CF behaviour indeed. Pls keep us updated when you find out more re access!!

Johnnysgirl · 26/05/2022 21:48

I would assume if you have a house in the middle of a row you'd use your front door to get to your front street?
Not if you have a right of access via the garden leading directly to the street Confused
You need to stop making assumptions based on absolutely nothing and find out for sure.

worriedatthistime · 26/05/2022 21:48

@KTMP16 you need to ask and find out its not that unusual in many areas .
My brothers set up is every 2 house so my brother has access through his neighbours , my sil is in the middle so neighbours one side come through her garden to get to next garden then side alley and my sil goes through one garden to side alley