To call the police to conduct a wellness check for my hoarder neighbour?

[Atmywitsend23]

I had posted last week about an awful smell in my new apartment hallway. It transpires my neighbour has been a hoarder for 15yrs and there’s amongst other things, vermin and sewage issues in her apartment. The smell is so incredibly awful that it consumes the hallway and my apartment too. I’ve contacted my landlord, the building owner and the housing regulator to try and get some help to deal with the situation. Nobody seems to be able to do much. Would it be unreasonable to call police or social services for a wellness check? Surely when things are this bad there is a significant mental health issue and someone has a duty of care in this situation?

And what the police you think will do?
It will be written off as not in public to prosecute and more appropriate to deal by Social Care where they will pass it on. Social Care is already aware so waste of time and more cost for the OP.

Why don't you read the thread or at least the OPs posts?

Contact your Landlord again. They have a duty of care to all Tenants & it maybe a fire risk if your neighbour hoards flammable stuff. Also if there's vermin or other infestations then your Landlord needs to deal with it asap. If they don't agree to sort out the problem with the smell etc seek advice from CAB.

Have you tried contacting Shelter? They can give advice on all sorts of issues that are housing related.

@ThePoshUns I did not reply to the OP but the poster above me who suggested calling police

can you speak to the freeholder/commonhold manager? Not sure how flats work in Scotland. when I lived in a shared freehold block I had to ask the management company about a man who was very dirty and didn't maintain his flat. he caused leaks and a fire, the company told him to clean up or lose his flat. Possession could be taken as he'd broken the terms of the lease (even tho it's a share of the freehold).

A note of caution OP not to get your hopes up up too much because as pp have said, it can very difficult thing to deal with properly which takes time and resources that services don’t always have. On the other hand it is by far the most common subject of safeguarding reviews when vulnerable people have died from self neglect as the previous sad example up thread. It also is fairly common, along a spectrum. I hope your neighbour can be supported and your life made easier.

Bloody awful OP, must be exhausting to deal with.

Your last sentence is a bit worrying as 'resolved soon' and hoarding never go together, and I'm worried you'll get your hopes up. Wishing you all the luck op, so sorry you're dealing with this.

Those were my thoughts too. This can potentially take months or even years because hoarders usually resist outside interference. Their ‘things’ are often all they have in the world and the hoarding is often the manifestation of a mental illness.

I'm really sorry to hear this OP it must be awful for you to live next to someone like that. I really hope something can be done. It seems to me that people like this should be (forcibly if necessary) moved into some sort of sheltered accommodation although I understand there's no money for that sadly.
It's just not fair on everyone around that person. Also hoarders typically resist all offers of help.

Fire Brigade have some specific advice. Might be worth a call....?

https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/safety/carers-and-support-workers/hoarding-disorder/

Definitely involve social services as this sound like a care issue. They may involve the police themselves but it wouldn't hurt to ask their opinion.