Neighbour has complained about Portaloo

[Helenwalker2]

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.

Highly unreasonable. Send it back immediately.

Save money by replacing with an open bucket.

That will be fine so long as you empty it every two weeks, ideally by pouring the contents directly onto the ground.

Wait until it gets emptied…..that’s much much worse.

Our neighbours had one for months in their front garden, and I worked from home.

I think for a few weeks it’s ok. Maybe check when it’s emptied like someone unthread suggested so that you can pass that info on.

I would also not want tradespeople in and out of the toilet 🚽

Exactly this - we had one during the summer, it was emptied weekly, it didn’t smell, and it couldn’t have gone round the back because the hose wouldn’t reach.

Thinking about it OP, I wonder if it got emptied this weekend when you were away and that’s why the neighbours could smell it?

YANBU to have the portaloo but YABU not to be more sympathetic and polite to your NDN. Go round with a nice box of chocs and flowers, apologise for the inconvenience of them having to put up with a plastic convenience near their window, explain rhat it cant't be moved elsewhere but is only for a couple more weeks, and thank them for their patience.

I.cant't believe how many inconsiderate PPs there are. Do as you would be done by!

This was my neighbour's 🙄

Is the alternative the builders using your loo? I can't see the problem, that's what I did.

I would never deny anyone the use of the facilities, nor be anything but pleasant about it. I put out fresh soap, hand towels, hand lotion for them. (I also continually have snacks, tea, coffee, Coke, chilled water on offer for them)

But I’m allowed to cringe inwardly.

I always feel so sorry for the workmen who have to use them. These people are good enough to do the work on your home but you won’t do them the basic courtesy of allowing them access to a bathroom? It’s a disgraceful way to treat people.

Of course and I wouldn’t be overjoyed about it either. But when you have people in doing the work it’s necessary and just a common courtesy. You’d just buy bleach or ask a cleaner to come in if you’re that precious about it.

It just seems like the op would rather piss off her neighbours than accept the inconvenience for a few weeks for something that will ultimately benefit her.

I personally couldn't abide having workmen using the toilet inside my home. The stress of it would drive me bonkers. A portaloo would be the sole feasible option.

Our main contact for the project is on site this morning and confirmed it will be emptied upon collection at the end of the job. He also verified there’s no smell issue and thinks our neighbours are trying it on.

Our builders didn't want to use our toilet and refused to allow us to say no to the portaloo. Are we disgraceful too? 😂

Yes women's public toilets are spotless and such a delight to go in to, I so look forward to the 'cleanliness'

Of course women's loos can be gross but you rarely find piss all over the floor and seat. This is why I hate any gender public toilets. I don't mind sharing the facilities, I DO mind having to tip toe around someone else's urine.

That’s almost double what my neighbours are paying for theirs during building work.

The only time I have noticed any smell is when it is emptied, and the only when I have been outside.

Cleaner here... A night club once.
Trust me the women's was much worse than the men's.

I agree with this. I can't imagine not allowing people working for me to use the loo in the house. They're good enough to do the work, but not to use your loo? Do you let them drink from your cups? Touch your kettle? Look you in the eye?
How dehumanising to except then to use a portaloo.

Yeah, agreed. Obviously they should leave it clean like any toilet trained adult and if they weren't then I'd probably make a polite request the next day. But when they're just using it like normal people? And yeah, that might involve smell, humans don't shit Chanel No 5... well that's what windows, fans and air freshener are for. It's not very pleasant but just use whatever anti smell procedures you use whenever anyone else in the house does the same thing.

These people who are amazed that a person might need a shit while at work, as if being in someone else's house - that is, the workplace for a tradesman! - somehow shuts down the intestines. If you're a tradie then you probably have very early starts and can't always accommodate a perfect poo on the hour. And lay some covers down if you're worried about treading dirt. You're having work done, there's going to be some dirt and dust!

Good enough to do the work, as you say...

@VivienneDelacroix Surely it depends what work the workmen are doing though.
When I had 3 months of building work, we had a Portaloo on the drive which the builder ordered as part of the contract. The builders were working outside with limited work needed inside initially. It was a dirty job involving soil/Mud from digging foundations and moving drains, cement, concrete etc. No way would the builders want to be traipsing all that inside the house, nor removing their boots all the time.
I've had other work done, including moving internal stud walls, plastering, new bathrooms, and never had a Portaloo. I've got a downstairs loo by the back door with a tiled floor and the workman are told they can use it, letting themselves in and out of the back door as needed.
Trades coming to do servicing or repairs are always welcome to use the loo if they ask.
But sometimes a Portaloo is the best option and it can legitimately sit on your driveway. It's not always about wanting or not wanting them to use your household facilities.
And those saying they should have access to running water and soap, what do you think trades do on housing developments or those doing roadworks where there are no facilities other than a portaloo? They are used to it and just crack on. Most of them don't bother to wash their hands when they've got access to soap and water anyway!

So has it not been emptied at all yet? 4 weeks without emptying it seems a bit grim but grim for the builders using it, I think your neighbours are being precious if there is genuinely no smell

As per the OP, it's only been there for 2 weeks so far. It's expected to be there 4 weeks in total.

By the time the council do anything it will be gone. You could certainly argue the case for a couple of weeks. In the meantime maybe ask the contractors to make sure they keep it sanitised so there is no smell. Is there room to move it a bit further away from their house, just for the sake of keeping the peace?

I’m amazed that you (and other PPs) would have a portaloo rather that let your trades use a toilet in your house! We had one for one big reno but only because all the water was turned off and all bathrooms ripped out for a month or 2. Once a toilet was installed, the portaloo went.

It reminds me of way back when in the Deep South where white families would have a toilet hut built in the back yard for the black servants to use.