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!

God I’d be utterly mortified if my neighbour could smell my toilet from their garden

Nothing like sitting in your garden relaxing and a strong smell of shit comes wafting out. All the posters saying your neighbours are CFs I’m sure would have something to say about it 😂

No one can stink a toilet out so much the neighbours can smell it unless theres a drain problem.
id ignore the letters and open all my windows and play some lovely Kanye West to get their bbq going

That dog must be male so!!

For me this thread has proven many things e.g.

• that the OP's drain, or their next door neighbour's, is most probably blocked
• that their neighbours are note writing pains in the ass (pun intended, ahem)
• that female mumsnetters don't believe their shit smells
• that we knew this already just by reading many of their posts on here sadly ;)
• that even female mumsnetters who have 4 very smelly teenage sons still think their effluent doesn't smell
• 'they all got that from their father don't you know...?...
• that other green eating, virtuous , vegans on here (gender unassigned, of course, ahem) don't think their shit smells either
• that the occasional mumsnetter is in the habit of smelling her dad's bum (just check up the thread if you don't believe me)
• that the OP's neighbours need a whatsapp group to inform them (& their guests) when their neighbour, her DH & his 4 smelly, loo going children want to use their downstairs loo to go for a dump

- that they might want notice of a wank also, a pee may be discretionary for now, but the window must most definitely be closed during all bodily motions

• that the very same neighbours probably haven't had the cop on, or decency, or both to check their own drains first
• that they are most likely shits who just don't like smelling other people's shits.

So, that's enough shit from me for one post at least. Have a nice weekend y'all!

P.s. and don't let the shits get you down!!!

It's their choice to sit near a loo window.
I'd tell them to sit elsewhere..

It would be bloody funny if it turned out that the smell was caused by a leak in the neighbours' sewer and they'd been moaning at the OP when it was their own shit that stunk.

I'd open that window extra wide on Saturday

I have an outdoor toilet in the garden which we use regularly. It does have a door on the toilet now but we only put it on in covid times. Prior to that we used it without a door….i can’t smell our own toilet in the garden it’s actually in!

Ha ha honestly I have never met a man who can’t create a nuclear reaction in a toilet bowl. Men and women have completely different constitutions. OP you are a mighty lady to live with so many men!

us ladies poop sunshine and rainbows. 🤣

Can you put in an extractor fan? It may vent higher up or away from their garden
Is this your only toilet? It must be bad for them to actually mention it.

Yes! Was thinking exactly this

More proof.
You would only know when people smell, not when they don't.

Obviously the OPs household is full of tradesmen who, as we on Mumsnet are frequently told, only do massive, toilet blocking poos that stink the whole house out. The solution is clearly to get them to poo in a client's toilet at all times.

@Amanda98 I'd be ignoring the NDN's note OP- you've lived there years with no complaint from the previous neighbours so they sound a bit OTT. What you could do, however, is buy a can of Neutradol Odour Destroyer and "train" all family members to spray it around the cloakroom when they've done a number 2 and don't open the window until a couple of minutes later by which time, hopefully, the smell should be neutralised by the spray.

It really isn't something that can be controlled!

Theoretically maybe an air cleaner could work🙈

I doubt it’s the smell, but can they hear you tinkingling? may be a bit annoying if out sunbathing etc. Or they are just paranoid about poo particles infiltrating their garden 😆

It can be contained, though.
Why let it waft into someone else’s space?

Get some VIPoo spray in toilet after a number 2. Gets rid of 💩 smell and tell your neighbours to get a life. 😂😂😂

Reminds me of them gnomes from B&M bent over showing their arses. I’m sure the arses are solar powered and light up in the dark.😂😂😂

We live on a farm, and one family who border one of our fields asked us not to spread slurry for a week because they were having a bbq and the smell is horrible.
my old farmer father in law informed in no uncertain terms them that possibly the countryside had been the wrong choice then…
people are nuts. We know a farm who had neighbours complain that they didn’t like having ro
watch cows wee out of the dining room window..

Can you not build a fence up higher so that they can't see when your window is open?

Also the reek from their BBQ on Saturday will probably stink your house out so maybe best keep window closed for your benefit!

How about putting one of those battery sprays on the windowsill so that they get a whiff of roses.

Totally. I have a husband and three kids, all eat roughly the same. My poo stinks the most, followed closely by my sons. My husband and daughters is far less stinky.

One of my parents in far worse than the other.

It’s not a slight on the person - we can’t help our shit stinking, in the same way no one can control how pretty they’re born.

Having said that OP - if they have guests in the garden, I think it’s ok that they don’t want to hear or smell your family shitting while they’re trying to eat and socialise. New builds have loads of toilets, can’t you use another for 5 hours?

Ignore them.

Isn’t the question why your loo stinks? Shouldn’t smell at all - surely you can smell it inside too? 😷