That my neighbour’s paranoia is not my problem.

[Libertylawn]

I have lived in my house for 20 years and it’s got a loft conversion which was done originally as a granny flat, so little kitchen and bathroom, 2 bedrooms. We are semi rural but near a couple of major employers and a business park and so I started letting out the annex to contractors. They are all fully vetted and usually just down for a couple of weeks or so. The rooms overlook farmland and my garden and also my neighbour’s garden.

My neighbour when she found out about the lodgers went bananas and has tried to report me to anyone that will listen, because she firmly believes it isn’t safe and as a consequence she and her children won’t go in the garden AT ALL, in case my lodgers are watching her. Why the hell they would want to watch her or her kids is beyond me.

The neighbour has kids the same age as mine, and we have mutual friends. She has cried - tears crying - saying how worried she is and that I’m ruining her dream house. The houses are detached, there’s no shared drive etc so this is all on the basis of the chances of nutters watching her put her washing on the line. I’ve ignored her so far but this morning I got a card through the door from her begging that I stop letting out the annex to anyone “except maybe relatives.” I’ve tried talking to her but am getting nowhere. She’s crackers isn’t she?

This. The current trend for the use of 'I have trauma' as a tool to control and guilt people to.do what the announcer wants is off the scale!
And the so called collaborative way is usually doing what the complainer wants...

I'd be more worried about her nutty behaviour tbh.

So guests won't be able to look out of the windows? This is as crazy as the neighbour! I don't see why the OP should appease her at all. She's doing nothing wrong. And besides, this kind of appeasement never works. She'll be complaining about kids in their own garden next. Especially if they bring friends home and she sees - aargh - strangers!

Not buyers, no. But having rented out a room and advertised online on various sites I can confirm that lodgers are required to register with the sites and provide checkable references and other information according to the requirements of the client. So es vetted as far as possible.

This is true, manipulative behaviour.

I’d do the grey rock method, You don’t have to explain anything you do to her.
I’d be very blunt in telling her that you didn’t buy your house to be told what to do by her, and that you’ll be having whoever you like in your property, whenever you like.

Oh and tell her to get a grip !

I am on your side still - but this comment feels a bit misogynist. The vast majority of mamils are avoiding their share of parenting and the work involved in keeping a home going, not put-upon husbands of harridans... 😁

Nutter!

No shes got a point, what do you mean the contractors are vetted how would you know? DBS checks to rent a room? lol I doubt it. If they overlook her garden I can imagine how she feels her ‘dream house’ being ruined by a rental property with different lodgers all the time. You should stop being so money hungry

Brilliant! 😂

DH was a contractor, and for over 20 years had to go away to work Monday-Thursday. It can be a fucking miserable existence, and I have to say your set up sounds lovely OP.

Your neighbour is completely batshit - bordering on offensive to brand all men who have to work away from home as some sort of pervert.

It's completely normal for people to see, and hear, parts of their neighbours' properties.

Tbf if they were a secret axe murderer it wouldn’t show on their DBS anyway.

Goady much?

I have enabled my kids to stay in the home they were born in and be more independent of my fool ex. But that makes me money hungry? Ok!

Suppose they were all all all on the sex offenders register? They are simultaneously working at somewhere where I can (if I chose) to get hold of their employer and make a load of trouble. And they can see one third of a neighbour’s garden. I’m guessing they can get their kicks elsewhere.

My point entirely.

She’s unhinged. Just carry on and ignore her. If it wasn’t that, she’d find something else to complain about.

You don't appease loonies, you ignore them!

It's the total self importance of her, and on a similar thread where op is complaining neighbours dc are soo interested in what she's doing in her garden/kitchen because they happen to look over when on their climbing frame...

You sound way to trusting the old pensioner next door tending to his garden could be a convicted paedo. All the best 🙌

Only admitted or prosecuted axe murders would show.

your neighbour is a loon.

I wouldn't like it. You buy a home and expect it to be private, then someone starts letting out rooms etc and you have a row of randoms in the mix. I wouldn't be comfortable at all. Not saying I'd do anything about it, what can you do. But it's not what your neighbour signed up for and I'm on her side.
I lived next to a college and a few houses sold over the years and were then let to students. I would not have wanted to live next to students and if that had happened, I'd have moved pronto. However, if your neighbours love their house and area, it must be sickening to find themselves in this situation. You're OK, you're making a quick buck out of it.

My neighbour does exactly this, rents out an annex to local contractors working at the nearby airport. Their bedroom window overlooks our garden. It's never occurred to me to have an issue with it, I've even met some of the contractors she's had there and they've always been lovely.

She sounds batshit and I'd be ignoring her. She sounds extremely paranoid.

@TheSilentSister what?! It's not the same house, neighbours signed up for bugger all!
Sickening?! Really what a sheltered life!!

DBS certs are only as good as the day they're done. I could become an axe murderer the day after the check's made and as long as I'm never caught, I'm an upstanding citizen (I speak as one who has an enhanced DBS and really, it's a money-making nonsense).

In fact, that's exactly what her neighbour signed up for because people are allowed to have lodgers in their houses. This is not a niche piece of information. If she bought a home on the understanding this couldn't happen, she was misinformed. People who want to guard against this eventuality need to live where they're not overlooked at all.

Additionally, you may have missed this, but OP has said she's reliant on the rental income to stay in the house. If she stopped, and thus had to leave, who's to say it wouldn't end up as an Air B and B? There's clearly demand. It could be much worse for the neighbour!