New neighbours complaining about our toilet

[Amanda98]

We’ve got a new build where one side of our house completely backs on to a neighbours garden - that’s the back wall/boundary of their garden essentially.

Downstairs, we have a toilet with a window which is on the side of the house where that wall is, and has a small window which opens at the top. Their garden is slightly lowered so it isn’t within reaching distance. It’s a fairly odd design but we’ve lived here for years with no issues.

The neighbours have recently changed. In one of the early weeks in April when it was warm, they put a note through the door which asked we keep the window closed when it’s sunny because of the smell. We don’t really open it much anyway so thought nothing of it.

We’ve since had a further note through this week asking it stays closed on Saturday because they are hosting a BBQ for a family members birthday. We also have family over on Saturday and the downstairs loo is the one they’d naturally use.

Are the neighbours being CF? They surely can’t expect us to introduce a rule where we only crap upstairs whenever they say so!

They are being ridiculous! Ignore them and their cf request!

I would be having brussels and curry on Friday!

Tell them to do one.

Laugh and ignore.

How close is it in feet? it seem extraordinary that a new build was granted planning permission so close to you.

We've had neighbours before whose bathroom windows are near our back garden and I've never once noticed a smell from a toilet. What are you all eating .

I'd make that the day my farm yard manure was delivered for my plants.... but op, where's the diagram?

Have some lovely asparagus-it's in season right now-so your wee can stink as well.

I'd be drinking a full bottle of Califig the night before and get the cheapest air freshener possible as cheapo air freshener + fresh poo smells even worse than just poo on its own 🤣

I would be wary about feeding into this controlling batshittery. Most likely they will get worse and worse

Why does yout toilet smell so bad?

And ask DP/DC to stagger their turding so it's one crap on the hour for 4 hours during their soiree.

And overfeed the dog and let her crap in the toilet too.

That would be my question too.

I can sympathise to an extent if someone else’s stinky loo is pretty much in their garden, but I’d echo another poster — why does it smell so bad?

Is it that you've got weird neighbours, or there's something unusual about your family's bowel functions?

I guess it is the sound as much as the smell, and the feeling from the neighbours point-of-view that they are getting too much exposure to your toilet

tell them that they are welcome to grow a plant in front of the window, but you can't keep the window closed all the time.

Does it smell in your downstairs loo?
If it doesn't, then that is not the source of whatever they can smell (if they can smell anything).
Is there a drain for the loo by that boundary wall and if so, is it draining properly?
Otherwise, just ignore.

Any bad smell usually disappears very quickly, especially if you leave the door open, as well as the window. Seems like an odd request, unless you all have a poor diet and poo several times a day!

I'm thinking this might be a drainage issue rather than the toilet. The poo should flush away down the pipes and any lingering smells will go with a window open in the fresh air. Can you check your drains/pipes? Is there something happening that it's underground bursting into their garden?

Why is your toilet so smelly? Are they over reacting?

I might be tempted to throw some fart bombs into their letterbox next time they send me a note. Just kidding but jeeeez. If you can’t have a shit at home where can you?

Does your opening window trespass onto their land if the wall is the boundary?

This is my thinking that maybe something is wrong with a blocked pipe under the ground for example. I'd go round and speak to them about it. Unless you know that you're making a stink in which case this is on you! But I'm guessing it's a plumbing issue.

Their entitlement is awful! What if you had Crohn’s or some other bowel issue?! Madness.

Could you be noseblind? Do you have someone that you trust to tell you whether or not your toilet smells particularly bad?

Also wondering why you bathroom smells so bad.

But regardless, bathroom windows need to be opened to prevent damp and mould.

They sound like gobsh1tes to firstly come to this conclusion & secondly to handle it like this.

I'd check your loo & look for any whiff outside your toilet (it will only likely be from a leaking pipe) & then go around to your neighbours and have a friendly chat & assuming it's not your sewer or drain causing it, ask them to get their house in order first, (& into the future) before sending misinformed missives through your door asking you to change your behaviour. I mean come on!?

That’s a very poorly designed house, having your bathroom window open into someone else’s garden.
I’m very surprised it passed planning.