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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Re the neighbours

27 replies

SSDDagain · 28/06/2022 16:05

We moved in August 2021.
Mutual exchange via council (they arranged it all. I didn't have to find a place)

Since being here we've had numerous random knocking on the door asking for previous tenant. Saying some pretty diabolical things. Seems to be a kind of vigilante group.

Ended up getting the safer neighbourhood team round as it was getting a bit much.
They recommended a ring doorbell, among other things. We asked the police if this was OK as we have a shared porch.

Were advised that as long as it was flat facing directly up the pathway (also shared) we were fine.

Finally got one installed last week.

Next door neighbour (who we have nothing to do with, mainly because she was very stand offish at first, and more so now that they've taken to having domestics on the daily) has said her landlord isn't happy as he owns the property and part owns the path. Apparently we may be getting a letter about it soon.

The doorbell only shows the porch, the path and maybe a tiny corner of the neighbour's drive. (There's a wall between path and drive)

There's nowhere else we can put it. The porch would block any view if we put it on the other side and we can't attach it to the porch itself as it's just brick so nowhere to power it.

It doesn't show the house, the other front door, we can't see neighbour at her front door etc.

Also have got it audio activated so not listening in to any conversations.

I feel relatively secure as I did query all this with the police when we installed it, but it appears that the landlord is going to try and make us remove it from what she said.

I'm awaiting call backs from CAB and the safer neighbourhood team to clarify if I've done anything wrong.

So AIBU to leave it where it is until I've heard back.

OP posts:
janesmithsdog · 28/06/2022 16:11

Nah just nod vaguely and leave it. If pressed (like the doorbell- ha!) then say you’ve acted on police advice.

theemmadilemma · 28/06/2022 16:16

You can change the settings on ring to reduce the motion range, so it won't pick up next door as much.

Here's some further (recent) info:
www.express.co.uk/life-style/property/1513895/ring-doorbell-legal-battle-data-protection-evg

Original poster
SSDDagain · 28/06/2022 16:20

theemmadilemma · 28/06/2022 16:16

You can change the settings on ring to reduce the motion range, so it won't pick up next door as much.

Here's some further (recent) info:
www.express.co.uk/life-style/property/1513895/ring-doorbell-legal-battle-data-protection-evg

Thank you. I've done all that. He apparently wants none of his property in shot at all. Which isn't actually possible with any security camera that covers the front door.

I've made all the settings as close to our property as possible!

OP posts:
Luidaeg · 28/06/2022 16:25

nod and smile.....

mumwon · 28/06/2022 16:46

I bet the landlord does nothing - re the police advice, did they come to your home or was the advice via phone? If you have a name or contact with the police directly or were sent an email print this off. & give a copy to next door
As a landlord I would not be interested & I don't see why her landlord should.

Frlrlrubert · 28/06/2022 17:02

'My landlord says' I'd take with a pinch of salt and wait for them to speak to me personally or send a letter. If/when they do state that you've installed it on the advice of the police and what steps you've taken to ensure the privacy of their property and tenants as much as possible. Then see what they say.

Original poster
SSDDagain · 28/06/2022 17:06

mumwon · 28/06/2022 16:46

I bet the landlord does nothing - re the police advice, did they come to your home or was the advice via phone? If you have a name or contact with the police directly or were sent an email print this off. & give a copy to next door
As a landlord I would not be interested & I don't see why her landlord should.

Police came out when someone was refusing to leave my front door.

I know they were from the local SNT so I've left a message. Hoping they get back to me soon and then I'll see if I can get something in writing

OP posts:
CallOnMe · 28/06/2022 17:07

Can I ask how you got a mutual exchange through the council?
Did the previous tenants go to your property like a normal exchange?

70kid · 28/06/2022 17:07

you can get ring doorbells that aren’t wired in
mine is wireless so when the battery runs low I get a notification in the app and i just remove the doorbell and charge it up using a usb lead takes about 30 mins or so for a full charge

MaJoady · 28/06/2022 17:10

"My landlord says..." sounds like code for "I don't like it, and want you to move it, but that sounds like i'm being petty, so I'll make it sound more official"

Original poster
SSDDagain · 28/06/2022 17:11

CallOnMe · 28/06/2022 17:07

Can I ask how you got a mutual exchange through the council?
Did the previous tenants go to your property like a normal exchange?

In this case it was a three way exchange. Mainly due, it seems, to the previous tenant of my house needing to get away from the harassment.
(They didn't tell me that before we moved...)

In our case my partner is disabled and needed an adapted property.

So we went to family a's house, family a went to family b's house and family b went to our house if that makes sense.

I think in all 3 cases there were issues like disability needs and neighbour disputes which the council was involved in.

We did the viewing etc same as a normal exchange.

OP posts:
Sswhinesthebest · 28/06/2022 17:14

As a LL I’d quite like it.

70kid · 28/06/2022 17:15

@CallOnMe my batshit crazy ex neighbour is doing a mutual exchange all done via the council.
he didn’t actually get a choice in where he went - it had to be a 1 bed flat ( he had a 2 bed house )

when the council take charge of a mutual exchange it’s normally because one of the tenants has “ issues “ and so needs to be moved but often isn’t capable of doing a move themselves so depending on the “issues” the council take charge and arrange everything

I know in the case of my neighbour he wasn’t allowed to view the place he was moving to
but the other person was allowed to view the neighbours house .

As in the OP case the person she exchanges with obviously had issues so had to move

Nidan2Sandan · 28/06/2022 17:20

Meh, tell them to take it up with the ICO if they dont like it.

You dont need power for a ring doorbell, so you could put it on your porch.

mumda · 28/06/2022 17:24

Ring the ICO for reassurance.

They are very very helpful.

Original poster
SSDDagain · 28/06/2022 17:30

Thanks for the tips on the ico, hadn't heard of them before. Will get onto that tomorrow.

It's a very old (gen 1) ring doorbell. It was my mums and the battery is shot so this particular one does need to be wired in for now.

If it comes back that we have to move it I will replace it with a better one but as its working (albeit only when wired) I didn't want to pay out for another one if I don't have to.

OP posts:
Wob · 28/06/2022 17:42

Just ignore the whole thing OP, you're fine. The only part of the other property that's in shot is a shot that would be visible to the public anyway. They might have a point if there was a shot through their window but, as it sounds, you're perfectly within your rights to have the camera filming where it's filming - neither the landlord nor the tenant have any expectation of privacy on their drive or path. If the tenant brings it up again then just say you've installed it on police advice and double-checked it meets all the privacy requirements - leave it at that and don't stress about it.

Technically, you're a "data controller" under the ICO - but this is incredibly small fry. You meet all the requirements to show you've chosen an appropriate system and installed it appropriately simply because you've acted on police advice and installed a well-known and well-respected brand/product. I assume the footage deletes itself after a certain time period too? Technically, if someone sends you an SAR then you do have the obligation to manually delete the images of them if they request you do so and give them a copy of the footage of them if they request that you do so - but you can also charge them for that. In reality, this just won't be an issue for the ICO, it's like how no one declares to HMRC that their employer bought them doughnuts and it's technically taxable...

sueelleker · 28/06/2022 18:21

She said the landlord won't like it. I'd wait to hear from him-it sounds more like she doesn't like it, and the landlord knows nothing about it.

CallOnMe · 28/06/2022 18:37

my batshit crazy ex neighbour is doing a mutual exchange all done via the council.
he didn’t actually get a choice in where he went - it had to be a 1 bed flat ( he had a 2 bed house )

I’ve never heard of this being done before the council before.

I am trying to do one through the normal exchange sites and thought this might be a good idea but going by you OP I think it’s not as good as it sounds.

I hope once they realise the old neighbour has moved they’ll leave you alone!

Doggydarling · 28/06/2022 18:47

Ask for the landlords details and tell her it's so you can pass on the contact number for the police that advised you. She'll probably never mention it again.

Original poster
SSDDagain · 28/06/2022 20:38

@callonme I would hope they'd have realised I lived here after 10 months but they were still knocking last week. Let's hope Mt hopefully legal doorbell puts them off knocking again!

OP posts:
ImpartialMongoose · 28/06/2022 21:56

I think your neighbour may be lying, why would the landlord give a crap, it's more likely that she doesn't want anything they are doing next door to be monitored.

Original poster
SSDDagain · 28/06/2022 22:14

This is very much my take on it.

I believe she has issues with her teenager and I think she kicks him out the front when he's misbehaving.

Assuming she doesn't want anyone recording the language that's being used, or the things she says to him, but that's another thread entirely!

OP posts:
StoneofDestiny · 28/06/2022 22:16

Just tell them you are acting on police advice.

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