To report my neighbours

[Keebles]

Hi. Ok so let me just start by saying that usually I’m a live and let live kind of person who minds her own business and gets on with her own life, however I’m at the point now where I’ve had enough of my neighbours life choices affecting me and my family.

So basically I live in a lovely little HA house. We moved in two years ago, we spent money making it into a lovely cosy home but all that has been over shadowed by the fact my neighbours to the left of us smoke weed. Whilst that in itself wouldn’t be an issue if they smoked it outside, they choose to smoke it inside and unfortunately the smell comes through to our house. I’ve no idea how it does as neither me or my dh can see any obvious cracks in the walls or ceiling but there you go.

I’ve spoken to my neighbours twice about it. I explained the smell was coming to our house and politely asked if they could smoke it in their garden instead. For a whole they did this but the last few months they’ve gone back to smoking it inside. My dh refuses to speak to them again about it as they say there is no point and insists that we report it to the HA, however there might be a potential repercussion with that. I don’t care if the neighbours come round shouting at us, we’ve put up with it that long now that neither me or my dh care, but there is another issue at play. My neighbours children all
attend the school in which I work and one of their children is in my class. I’ve debated for a while now whether school would see the parents smoking in the house, potentially around the children, as a safeguarding issue so o am worried that if I report the parents to the HA if I’ll have to declare it to my work place as well as it’s potentially a safeguarding issue?

My neighbours aren’t great and we’ve had/have other issues with them eg them throwing their dog outside to bark non stop, allowing their kids to “play” eg shouting, screaming, kicking footballs off people’s fences walls and cars, them regularly having bonfires in their garden. None of this we have reported as like I said I’m usually able to ignore the behaviour of others and didn’t want to be THAT neighbour, however I’m not at the point where I don’t want to be in my home due not only their behaviour but also the weed smell. If you where me what would you do? We cannot move as the prices of houses in our area is ridiculous and we simply do not have the money. So the way I see it is I either suck it up or report to the HA and hope they do something.

My friend was in a similar situation and she was advised by a police friend to call the local community police. I am usually against involving police but I know how bad the smell was in her house and talking hadn't worked.

Be careful. There is going to be very little the HA can do as even though it’s a tenancy breach they are not going to end the tenancy or do an acceptable behaviour contract for cannabis use.

As for safeguarding. It won’t be you that’s named. However you do need to consider whether to talk to your safeguarding lead yourself.

There is very little the police can do as well. Unless dealing.

Oh I don’t want the HA to end their tenancy. I just want the HA to talk to them with the hope that they see sense.

Surely, as a teacher, you have official channels you can report drug abuse to if it's done around the children?

The smell is unbearable and I’m embarrassed to have friends and family over which in turn makes me feel isolated.

I’m not a teacher but yes there are channels. What I’m asking though would it be deemed necessary to report it to my work?

Would you allow your chin to sit in a house full of weed smokers and potentially be getting stoned off the second hand smoke?

neither would I…

so yes, report through school. Although if it’s that bad surely the kids clothes stink and the teacher could have noticed that way?

We have been in that situation. Only resolved when they moved out. They were raided by police multiple times and the HA notified by police, they don’t care and won’t do anything. Even when they were convicted of dealing from the property.

Smoking outside is just as bad, it comes in through the windows and makes the garden unusable in the summer.

Your child of course, not your chin!

Is the smell sweet or as if smoking? Could they be growing?

It solved my friend's problem.

I should have probably stated that I don’t smell the weed every day, I’d say it’s average probably once a week at weekends usually. I’m not sure if that’s relevant or not.

The smell isn’t sweet it’s very strong smelling. I’ve smelled weed often when out and about around town but the stuff my neighbours smoke is incredibly strong.

I've had the same OP the house is rented next door and an ex neighbour smoked weed it bloody stunk the house out every time we opened the door to the garden or windows. Unbearable in summer it stinks.

I just called the police and council environmental health eventually they moved out good riddance.

Please don't put up with it, it's classed as antisocial behaviour they are not your friends and don't give a shit about you. Report report report!

Safeguarding is about the overall picture. All staff should report everything they find concerning. You don't know what other staff have already reported. You should have some system of officially recording your concern at school. I would do that without doubt. You don't need to worry about whether or not you need to report it - if you have a concern, report.

No they are definitely not my friends and never will be. I’ve let torn for a while now about whether or not I should report them as I’m a decent person and don’t like to make trouble unnecessarily for anyone but we did the right thing and spoke to them and they’ve chose to carry on with their behaviour.

If pp are correct that police or HA won’t do anything unless it is dealing could you ask them to get an air purifier or have their windows open or if their bathroom has an extractor fan to smoke in there with the extractor fan on?

To be honest neither me or my dh feel that speaking to them again will make the slightest bit of difference. I’m fairly sure that they know there are measures they can take to minimise the smell coming through to our house but they don’t because they don’t care it’s as simple as that.

Would you be happy with someone telling you how to live in your house?
The whole I've asked them to smoke outside or in the bathroom with an extractor fan or get an air purifier

I totally agree the smell of weed is absolutely vile and my old neighbors used to smoke loads of weed unfortunately they owned their house so I just resorted to shouting loudly that the smell was disgusting and I feel sorry for her kids that seemed to work

Police and HA probably won't do anything about it as it's too much hassle

Ignore all the people saying the police and HA won't do anything. They will and they have for me in the past.

As said the affects of the smell is classed as antisocial behaviour and they will deal with it if you ask. I suspect many saying no smoke weed themselves.

To be fair though the way I live my life doesn’t affect my neighbours. My dc are older so they don’t make lots of noise, we don’t have a dog, don’t have loud partied until the early hours, don’t have bonfires in our garden etc. I won’t even use my washing machine until a reasonable hour even though I’m up at 5am every day as I’m considerate.

I honestly don’t have a problem with people smoking weed especially those who have a medical condition and/or severe pain but at the same time I shouldn’t have to suffer because of it. I struggle with anxiety and migraines and the strong smell of weed makes my head worse.

The police will do something. They will talk to them and try to resolve the issue.

The next time the smell is in your house call your local police station. If they are not busy someone will come and witness the smell and talk to your neighbours. I can't recall the name of it but the police have a community team who try to resolve issues before they escalate.

You've given your neighbours opportunity to stop.

It's the Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT).