To wonder if my NDN has someone sleeping in her loft?

[Rollergirl11]

DH and I were woken up at 3am by a noise above us which we thought was coming from our loft. It was prolonged over about 10 mins. Sounded like something hard being dropped and rolling around and then things being moved about. Then I heard what sounded like a plug being put in to a plug socket. The noise sounded purposeful and like it was human rather than animal. DH got up and hit the ceiling with a pole a number of times and the noise stopped and didn’t start again.

For context, we have had squirrels nest in the loft in the past and have also heard birds from time to time (We’re talking around 10 years ago) so we have experienced animal noise directly overhead before. We had someone from pest control round and we think we have blocked off all access routes from the outside.

Our next door neighbour is a bit of a nightmare. She rents out rooms and has lots of male immigrant types coming and going. There have been many incidents over the years and she/the address is known to the police. At one point I was concerned for her as she seemed to have at least 3 men living there who appeared to be drug dealers. She does not have a loft conversion.

Anyway back to the noise. As I said it felt almost like it was human and controlled rather than coming from an animal. When I told DH that I thought I heard what sounded like a plug in a socket he started to wonder if the noise was coming from next doors loft rather than ours. It would still feel and sound like it’s overhead. It seems weird that it stopped and didn’t start again once DH banged on the ceiling.

Have you spoken to the ndn about it?

Creepy! Is there any chance at all someone could get into your loft from next door neighbours?

what are "immigrant types"?

No, it was only last night that it happened. But anyway she never answers the door when you go and knock so the only time that I see her is in passing occasionally. Don’t have her phone number.

If she has a lot of people crammed into her house it does seem very likely one of them is using the loft.
Are the lofts connected? Have you been up to check nobody has broken through? Sound from neighbours does carry though.

I would go up into your loft and make sure there is no access between the two and add a lock to the loft hatch from inside the house.

"Immigrant types"
🧐

I don't know about 'immigrant types' but if she has people living in an unconverted loft then she is putting them in danger as that won't be a legal room and contravening fire (and maybe other) safety rules.

Your best bet may be contact the council housing department and express concern that the house may be a) overcrowded and b) have someone living in an unconverted loft space. She is putting people in danger if this is the case.

"Immigrant types" what are they ?

Sorry I know this sounds offensive but didn’t know how else to describe. Basically single men that don’t speak English that don’t stay for long. There have been many incidents over the years involving people that have lived next door ranging from road traffic accidents where the perpetrators reside next door and don’t have car insurance, MOT and tax through to drug offenses and burglaries. We very often have court summons sent to our address of people claiming to live at our address where we think they are actually from next door.

If you think your neighbour has an illegal HMO you can report it.

I stopped reading at "immigrant types".

What a horrid, uneducated way to describe people.

How would you describe single males that don’t speak English and likely don’t have jobs and official documentation?

What a horrid, snobbish way to respond to a post.

“Immigrant types” would probably be single men of a variety of nationalities in the 18-45 age range (most probably) with limited language abilities, no job or a cash in hand job (which means they don’t receive the employment protection, benefits etc they should do) think delivery drivers etc who can commit serious offences because they’re difficult to trace as they’re not in the system.

Those sorts of “immigrant types”.

Not the type of immigrants who arrive here usually with jobs lined up, bring their families, work hard, pay tax and are valuable members of society.

It’s ok to acknowledge that some types of people in this country are problematic (like OPs neighbours).

Been reported many, many times. Not just by me but by other people on the street. The address is known to the police.

So do people think it’s likely that the noise was from a human?

I don’t think there is access to our loft from next doors loft but this particular spot over our heads is quite hard to get to so we haven’t been in that area other than when we were looking for squirrels.

OP, i feel this thread will turn into a heated discussion about immigration!

Instead of policing language, people could maybe get concerned about anti-social people causing trouble, regardless of where they come from or what nationality they are.

My major concern which I think someone mentioned up thread is that they have access to your loft!! I know some types of houses have a communal type loft space that runs along all the houses, massive fire hazard but it was cheaper to build.

Can you have someone living in your loft???

What a snotty, virtue signalling reply🙄

Get up there and search Op, all of it just to be sure. If the sound was coming from next door then you'll hear it again

It might have been someone checking the water tank. Maybe water issues inside. Is there any evidence the overflow has been running ?

Or maybe someone coming home from the pub and deciding to get the Christmas tree down.

Thank you @Lolapusht, you have summed up more eloquently than me!

Cannabis farm?

So do people think it’s likely that the noise was from a human?

If you and your DH can’t even answer this Q and you were both there hearing it, then how can we answer this Q.

From what you’ve said it sounds like the noises were just coming from next door.

It would be very difficult for you to hear noise from her loft on your side and you heard nothing that was similar to coughing or talking or any sort of human noises.
You would have least have heard footsteps.

If you’re concerned someone is in your loft then go and have a look.

I wouldn’t concern yourself with it unless you see or hear that needs reporting like it’s impacting you or she’s being cuckood.

Oh god, hadn’t even considered that!!

DH said this morning he wondered if it was someone trying to watch the Antony Joshua fight that started around 4am.

I don’t think there will be anyone in our loft. We have loads of stuff up there but this part is cramped and small and also has the water tank situated. But I do think she could have someone there on her side.

DH was in the loft a few weeks ago getting Xmas decs down but wouldn’t have gone to this section. I think he’s going to have to go and check later though. 🫣😬

I think you should (or your DH because I don’t venture into ours 🕷️🕸️) go up into your loft and check it out. Even the hard to get to bit that’s near to the neighbour’s house. Your neighbour sounds like an absolute nightmare.