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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Neighbour has complained about Portaloo

265 replies

Helenwalker2 · 10/11/2025 17:24

We are having some work done on our house which has required a portaloo to be placed at the front. This was a requirement of both parties who quoted if we weren’t to allow access to a toilet indoors for the various trades who will be on site (absolutely no chance with the horror stories I’ve read on here and from a couple of friends).

Our property is at the end of our street so we have only one direct neighbour. When it was first delivered the woman who lives next door made a comment about it being unsightly and hoping it won’t be there for too long - I confirmed the works are going to take up to 3-4 weeks but would keep her updated.

We are 2 weeks on, and this morning our neighbours husband knocked. He said they are unhappy with the smell and want us to move it to the back of our house in the garden. I confirmed we had previously asked and this wasn’t possible. Note we don’t believe there to be any smell albeit were away this weekend.

The woman then knocked this afternoon. Moaning about how bad it smelt at the weekend and how we are unreasonable to have placed it outside the front of our house and so close to their windows.

I said the work is still on plan and it will be gone in the next week or two. She then said she is going to complain to the council as they’ve had ‘advice’ that it isn’t permissible to place portaloos at the front of houses where there’s an attached house (as both ours is being semi detached).

AIBU to stand firm? We don’t believe there’s any truth in what she’s said and by the time the council get round to doing anything, it should be gone.

OP posts:
Blodyneighbour · 10/11/2025 18:35

3hairspastfreckle · 10/11/2025 18:23

I'm disappointed at the lack of diagram thus far

Me too. DIAGRAM please

lucylox · 10/11/2025 18:35

Helenwalker2 · 10/11/2025 18:34

The workmen are in the house when needed - they just aren’t using the toilet.

Yes I get that. Hence the portaloo. The point still remains.

MzHz · 10/11/2025 18:36

Redpeach · 10/11/2025 17:36

Wouldn't it be cheaper and easier to let them use yours and employ a cleaner? Have you never had a party? Same difference

🤣 tell me you’ve never had builders in without telling me you’ve never had builders in.

ONE dump and you’re scarred for life

lucylox · 10/11/2025 18:38

MzHz · 10/11/2025 18:36

🤣 tell me you’ve never had builders in without telling me you’ve never had builders in.

ONE dump and you’re scarred for life

Does a builders dump differ much from other people’s dumps? Is it a tradesman thing? Or just builders specifically?

TheatricalLife · 10/11/2025 18:38

Just placate them OP. Arrange to get it emptied and ask if the builders can put up a screen between the loo and the neighbours house. It won't take much and will save you from a crap relationship with your neighbours.

PastaAllaNorma · 10/11/2025 18:41

@lucylox , it's actually very common for builders to price in a portaloo - they don't want to have to be taking boots off and asking to use the toilet every day across a substantial project. Especially if the family are needing to use the toilet as well.

Lots of the extensions locally have had portaloos in the front garden (problems of access to empty them if in the back.)

As I said, I have a few feet from my door in the NDN's garden and it's no more unsightly than the scaffolding, huge piles of building supplies, and mountain of brick and rubble awaiting disposal in what used to be their front garden.

When people get building work, neighbours just have to get over themselves and be tolerant. It won't last forever.

FullLondonEye · 10/11/2025 18:42

Screwyousimon · 10/11/2025 17:50

No she isn’t. Who wants workmen traipsing through their house? Especially if the only loo is upstairs.

OP ignore them!

You say it as if they were aliens - workmen are human beings! There is no reason they shouldn't be allowed to use a toilet in the house. What awful stories have you heard that mean you won't allow it, @Helenwalker2 ? My husband is a tradesman and he treats his customers' houses as he would his own. I wouldn't want him working somewhere if he's get treated like this. Are you Hyacinth Bucket?

Helenwalker2 · 10/11/2025 18:44

Blodyneighbour · 10/11/2025 18:35

Me too. DIAGRAM please

This is as fancy as I can manage I’m afraid! The cylinder shape being the offending loo.

Neighbour has complained about Portaloo
OP posts:
lucylox · 10/11/2025 18:44

PastaAllaNorma · 10/11/2025 18:41

@lucylox , it's actually very common for builders to price in a portaloo - they don't want to have to be taking boots off and asking to use the toilet every day across a substantial project. Especially if the family are needing to use the toilet as well.

Lots of the extensions locally have had portaloos in the front garden (problems of access to empty them if in the back.)

As I said, I have a few feet from my door in the NDN's garden and it's no more unsightly than the scaffolding, huge piles of building supplies, and mountain of brick and rubble awaiting disposal in what used to be their front garden.

When people get building work, neighbours just have to get over themselves and be tolerant. It won't last forever.

I get that but the fact that the op has specifically said she won’t allow the builders to use her loo makes it sound like she is shirking any inconvenience for her and passing it along to her neighbours, which I think is a bit off when it’s work being done on her property.

takealettermsjones · 10/11/2025 18:45

Helenwalker2 · 10/11/2025 18:34

The workmen are in the house when needed - they just aren’t using the toilet.

What do you think the workmen are going to do to your toilet?!

bigboykitty · 10/11/2025 18:46

It never ceases to amaze me, the things that privileged middle class people feel they're entitled to complain about. Check with the council and if there's no issue, tell the neighbours not to approach you again, otherwise you might decide to keep it permanently as an extra facility. Seriously, what's wrong with people?

AndeanFlamingo · 10/11/2025 18:50

Your neighbour is being ridiculous. We had work done over the summer, which ended up stretching to nearly three months. The portaloo was in more or less the same place as yours with respect to our attached neighbour and no-one had any problem with it. Our builders didn't even give us a choice, the portaloo was part of the quote. We were happy to provide it and I think they were equally happy to keep out of our way and keep all (most of anyway) the dust and dirt away from the top floor.

Praying4Peace · 10/11/2025 18:50

MyballsareSandy2015 · 10/11/2025 17:38

Ignore her! Silly mare. My neighbours have had one in their front garden since May and I’ve never smelt it … even during our long hot summer so I doubt she’s smelling anything in Nov!

Not fair.
I'm sure the neighbour isn't complaining for no reason.
I wouldn't have a problem with workmen using my toilet but I fully appreciate that some wouldn't want this

runwithme · 10/11/2025 18:51

When we had workmen they would turn up at 8am, and take it in turns to use the toilet. I can't say I timed them but they were not in and out. Each and every time it was left dirty. The timing of it (just before the kids were going to school and DH heading out to work) was inconvenient, and the kids refused to go in straight after, because of the smell. This went on a few days and I had no choice but to complain. The boss thought I was being ridiculous and said "I will tell them not to use the loo all day then" , but all I wanted was a little consideration. If I knew it was they cheap to hire a portaloo I would definitely have got one

NovemberMorn · 10/11/2025 18:54

Helenwalker2 · 10/11/2025 18:18

I’m not sure, and don’t fancy physically checking!

Sounds like someone is a neighbour from hell.
If your neighbour is not usually the complaining sort....it sounds like it might be you.

Allthecoloursoftherainbow4 · 10/11/2025 18:55

GingerKombucha · 10/11/2025 18:00

I think it's weird and disrespectful (often with a dose of snobbery) not to allow workmen access to a proper loo with hot running water unless you actually can't provide that.

This. I honestly think its disgusting when people take this attitude that tradespeople are somehow 'less than' and shouldn't be allowed to use the loo. Such unbelievable snobbery! If you are worried about them tramping in dirt provide shoe covers or just cover the floor in dust covers from front door to loo.
I would never dream of shaming a tradesperson by not allowing them to use the loo inside my home when they are working on my home!

tapaw · 10/11/2025 18:56

lucylox · 10/11/2025 18:38

Does a builders dump differ much from other people’s dumps? Is it a tradesman thing? Or just builders specifically?

It’s not the piss and shit that’s the problem. It’s probably the location of the toilet/traipsing mess. I have a similar length job going on at the moment and I have given the builders my downstairs toilet. I now don’t use it because of the floor - there’s no piss or shit problems, but builders have building material mess on their person so the floor gets covered in that - even if they are careful which mine are, the dusty stuff gets everywhere.

my mum once had builders who opened the front door and just let the dog go wandering off. So if I couldn’t keep my dog secure, I’d have a portaloo. Fortunately my dog is quite small and I’ve made a barrier out of boxes to keep him away from the door.

the neighbour is probably being a bit silly. It’s November - who is opening loads of windows for an extended period?. She just needs to keep the windows on that part of the house closed and open the back ones if she really wants.

Praying4Peace · 10/11/2025 18:57

Allthecoloursoftherainbow4 · 10/11/2025 18:55

This. I honestly think its disgusting when people take this attitude that tradespeople are somehow 'less than' and shouldn't be allowed to use the loo. Such unbelievable snobbery! If you are worried about them tramping in dirt provide shoe covers or just cover the floor in dust covers from front door to loo.
I would never dream of shaming a tradesperson by not allowing them to use the loo inside my home when they are working on my home!

This 100pc.
And what about the availability of hand-wash and water etc

Flowerlovinglady · 10/11/2025 18:58

The alternative, the workmen relieving themselves curbside, is also not appealing.

Whaleandsnail6 · 10/11/2025 19:02

Flowerlovinglady · 10/11/2025 18:58

The alternative, the workmen relieving themselves curbside, is also not appealing.

Or the op letting other humans use her toilet whilst they complete work on her house.

She has a functioning toilet, she just doesn't want them to use it. So the only alternative to the portaloo isn't that they go in the street.

ParmaVioletTea · 10/11/2025 19:05

YANBU about the Portaloo.

But YABU about allowing those working on your house not to use your inside lavatory. It's pretty rude & treating people working for you as a bit less than human.

If these craftsmen are good enough to work on your house, why aren't they good enough to use your bathroom?

SunnyDolly · 10/11/2025 19:05

They’ll have to contact Environmetal Health at the council with a smell complaint, who’ll go out to decide if it does actually smell. Probably worth checking the hire company are emptying it properly and if they are, you’ve got nothing to worry about.

BringBackCatsEyes · 10/11/2025 19:07

Whaleandsnail6 · 10/11/2025 19:02

Or the op letting other humans use her toilet whilst they complete work on her house.

She has a functioning toilet, she just doesn't want them to use it. So the only alternative to the portaloo isn't that they go in the street.

I am not weird about people using my toilet - family, friends, tradespeople, but I do think it's quite usual to have a Portaloo if works are taking 3-4 weeks and there are a few tradespeople. For me it wouldn't be using the actual loo, but more the disruption of maybe having 4 or 5 men traipse up and down the stairs to use our only bathroom/toilet.
I guess it depends on what work is being done.

Jellybean85 · 10/11/2025 19:12

NovemberMorn · 10/11/2025 17:29

If it stinks, and presumably if it's being used continuously by several workmen it will...I wouldn't like it either.

Oh for sure I would hate it lol but I also think she’s being unreasonable to complain! It’s clearly temporary. Being inconvenienced by Neighbhours building works is a sort of necessary evil in a residential area. Hope she never needs any work doing that’s noisy or messy etc 👀

Jellybean85 · 10/11/2025 19:13

ParmaVioletTea · 10/11/2025 19:05

YANBU about the Portaloo.

But YABU about allowing those working on your house not to use your inside lavatory. It's pretty rude & treating people working for you as a bit less than human.

If these craftsmen are good enough to work on your house, why aren't they good enough to use your bathroom?

That’s interesting. When we had work done we said we were happy for them to use the indoor loo and would put down floor covers. Builders declined and said it was a faff to have to worry about not getting the mud and dirt from their boots and work clothes everywhere and would prefer we hired them one