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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I don’t want our neighbour to keep running her airbnb

206 replies

airbnbby · 21/08/2022 10:43

We live in a 6 house cul de sac, have been living here for years and get along great with our neighbours. None of the houses even have fences separating the back gardens.

A few months ago we started seeing different cars and people showing up to this one house for 3-4 days at a time. Another neighbour asked what was up and owner said they were just friends visiting. Well that’s a lot of very organised friends as they always show up hours after the other one has left!

Anyway I just don’t like it, this is the house next to ours and every time someone new comes in and parks they can see right inside our kitchen and it’s just uncomfortable as it’s multiple different people every week.

I also definitely do not like sharing our outside area with total strangers. They literally could be anyone! I have tried finding the listing on all websites but can’t seem to find it and even if I did there’s no way I could bring it down but it still annoys me

OP posts:
user1471538283 · 21/08/2022 12:48

As long as they are quiet it wouldnt bother me.

But as it does bother you report it and make sure its official

woodhill · 21/08/2022 12:50

Sounds awful OP

Yanbu but unfortunately this is how a lot of places have become

Cheeseandlobster · 21/08/2022 12:51

Wonnle · 21/08/2022 12:30

If they own it outright yes , but if it's still mortgaged the company may not allow letting out/renting of the property

Show quote history

I am an ex mortgage advisor and it may have changed now but it used to be that providing you had lived there as your main residence for a certain period if your circumstances changed you could inform your mortgage company you intended to rent the property out with little problem.

sue20 · 21/08/2022 12:51

DancingBeanstalk · 21/08/2022 10:44

YABU. It’s not your property and not your choice.

It would need permission and declaration as a business if it were a guest house. This would include an assessment of suitability of location and surroundings. Also a register of those that stay and income would be taxed. Air b n b is a loophole which needs closing.

OriginalUsername2 · 21/08/2022 12:51

Yeah, real simple solution - just fork out hundreds of pounds of your own money for new fences and blinds!

Unescorted · 21/08/2022 12:56

We have one next door in a semi detached house - their guests normally complain about our noise. If they are night people - opera first thing in the garden. If they are early people electric guitar practice before bed / DnB base and loads of guests in the garden.....It is a joy to see the "noisy" reviews rolling in.

A note to all you Air BnB landlords to be ...consult your neighbours first before setting up your business without the correct use class planning in place.

sue20 · 21/08/2022 12:58

goshy · 21/08/2022 11:06

well air bnbs can be annoying but they don't seem to actually have one.

I think it's a bit weird to be so bothered about strangers looking in your windows though.

You think it’s weird to mind strangers looking in at your windows😂? Really😂? Are you an exhibitionist ?

Original poster
airbnbby · 21/08/2022 12:58

We have been quoted for fencing our back area so we are doing that in the next few weeks and we do have blinds already for the 100th person suggesting blinds! We still don’t want strangers coming in and out all the time, it honestly just makes us feel exposed

OP posts:
Nanny0gg · 21/08/2022 12:59

WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps · 21/08/2022 12:09

I'm not being funny, but you can't be as close as you claim if one of just SIX properties/neighbours is doing stuff like you're going on about, and carrying on doing it, and not consulting you or telling you what's going on.

Also, close friendly neighbours or not, it's batshit for all the neighbours to have no back fences. Just really odd. Are you all in a row? Or is it 3 houses facing another 3 houses? Do you really ALL have no back fences? Every one? Confused

Show quote history

It's not that unusual. I have somewhere like that near me

Iknowforsure1 · 21/08/2022 12:59

Wow! The entitlement! It’s not unreasonable to buy a fence and also you do really have to stop trying managing someone else’s life and how they manage their property.

Iknowforsure1 · 21/08/2022 13:01

@airbnbby
Exposed? To what?

Itloggedmeoutagain · 21/08/2022 13:03

I've just looked it up and it says the limit without consent from council is 90 days so I'm not sure where the other posters are getting 30 or whatever from.
To those saying it should be banned, where do you stay on holiday? Do you all stay in hotels? I don't want a hotel. I want a house with more space. Neither do I necessarily want to be in the middle of a tourist hotspot, I'd rather be a little bit out. I've booked my most recent trip on booking com but could easily have done the same on air bnb.
Or should it only be banned if it's next to you?
I don't think they should be banned but it would only be courtesy to mention it to the neighbours.

Original poster
airbnbby · 21/08/2022 13:06

@Iknowforsure1 There is just no feeling of privacy anymore. We went out of our way to buy a house that was in a cul de sac so we wouldn’t have strangers walking past or driving all the time. We want to live in a quiet place and not have an influx or random people. We even avoid sitting out in our front porch now cause it’s just awkward having to even make eye contact with them whilst we’re just trying to have some breakfast.

It is difficult to explain if you haven’t experienced it which I imagine is 99% of the people on this thread and it’s understandable.

OP posts:
AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 21/08/2022 13:07

DesertOrchi · 21/08/2022 10:55

Airbnb should be banned.

Even if they were for some reason, owners would just move to a different website, booking.com or whatever. That doesn't solve anything

I once lived in a similar type of place and would have been equally annoyed even though I was only a short term renter myself.

Sswhinesthebest · 21/08/2022 13:09

I assume you aren’t in the uk?

Iknowforsure1 · 21/08/2022 13:11

No, to be honest I can’t understand. I live in a big city in cul de sac. Still see many different people, it’s life. All your problems can be solved with curtains and fences. I don’t know you managed to love lacking privacy until now. Garden with no fence? This is one hell of a lack of privacy to me. Do people behave antisocially? Are they loud during the time when it’s not allowed? Do they try to surpass your property? Do they damage your property? If the answer is yes, you’ve got a problem. Otherwise, they are just people and owe you nothing. You can’t ask every single person you encounter for a DBS check. Your own permanent neighbours can one day do something wrong, there is no guarantee. You’re overthinking it.

Feetache · 21/08/2022 13:14

One of our neighbours houses was an AirBnB for a while. Didn't cause any issues but eventually they just rented it out. Had hedges round so prob why they didn't bother anyone.

miri1985 · 21/08/2022 13:21

Iknowforsure1 · 21/08/2022 12:59

Wow! The entitlement! It’s not unreasonable to buy a fence and also you do really have to stop trying managing someone else’s life and how they manage their property.

The entitlement of OP's NDN to change a residential house into a business is what you should be more affronted at.

OP isn't trying to manage their NDN's life, NDN is putting undue stress on multiple other people so that they can make money.

Do you object to any kind of planning laws? If I buy a house should I be able to do absolutely anything I want with it?

Datafan55 · 21/08/2022 13:23

I would hate that too. Even if they turn out to be fine, every new set is a potential problem (that you might not know about til they're still being a bit loud at 3am). And totally get what you're saying about catching people's eyes at all hours of the day when you are just in your front garden or kitchen in your pjs - it begins to feel very intrusive.

goshy · 21/08/2022 13:25

And totally get what you're saying about catching people's eyes at all hours of the day when you are just in your front garden or kitchen in your pjs - it begins to feel very intrusive.

where do you live that people have nothing better to do then stare into peoples windows hoping to catch them in their pjs?

Iknowforsure1 · 21/08/2022 13:29

@miri1985
So what’s the objection? What are these people who rent actually doing wrong? OP is not entitled to see a familiar face every day. It’s nothing that she can buy or pay for. This house can be sold every few months, from one family to another and there is nothing OP can object to. Business is different to business. I for one want to be able to stay places and like a previous poster mentioned, I don’t like hotels. I for one don’t drive and I hate cars, so should my neighbours have no cars? Should they not drive? I hate how unsafe it is for my children to play outside in a beautiful cul de sac because someone can arrive by car any moment and pose a risk. But you know what? I can’t dictate other people.

LondonQueen · 21/08/2022 13:31

They aren't doing anything wrong, if you don't like it move house. Window film is a good idea, you can get some that you can see out but not in; and it still lets a decent amount of light in.

BungleandGeorge · 21/08/2022 13:33

I can understand why you don’t like it as you’ve become accustomed to the set up of a very small and fixed number of people passing by your house. That’s quite an unusual set up with no fences and large glass areas to the front of the house and even people in cul de sacs usually have various dog walkers, children playing and people with lots of visitors/ home businesses etc. it is a shame but I’m not sure your neighbours are doing anything wrong.

Iknowforsure1 · 21/08/2022 13:33

@Datafan55
Are you serious? Where do you people live? Outside of my property, in the front yard I don’t go around wearing pyjamas because people can see me and it’s not their problem! I have blinds, I have fences! I mean… you’d have to move super rural and super isolated to be guaranteed never to cross eyes with anyone or anyone unfamiliar. Wow

ginswinger · 21/08/2022 13:33

We Airbnb our spare room out, mainly to business people here to visit someone, or the ocasional person on holiday. We pay tax on it (there's a government scheme set up to encourage this btw) and have only had one problematic guest who was allergic to cats and left early. Not all Airbnbs are the same and they are internally regulated by Airbnb to some high standards using their superhost programme and ratings.

What I do know is that the income we get is going to save us this winter. When our bills go up four-fold, we have no way to pay them other than by renting out a room.