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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbour idling car outside at 4.30am, for 30 minutes

24 replies

IdleKnowWhatToDo · 15/03/2026 20:12

This is incredibly outing, but I don't know what to do. Not sure if anyone can advise really.

I am slowly losing the plot when it comes to my neighbours, and aside from reporting to the council, not sure what action to take. I WFH as a HCP, and I don't want any issues with that. I also really love my home (and sleep)...

Neighbour turns on their car, locks it, goes inside, and let's it idle on their drive for 30 minutes most days.
They do this at very antisocial hours. The other week, 4.30am they started. Today, 7am. Last week, just after 6am.
I have been out there, and I am polite, including the 4.30 start (went out close to 5am). Yet they still do it. Today I had to go out at 7.20am, and was told he had 'made sure to turn the music off'.

The issue, is this is right outside my front door. I live in a bungalow, my door is to the side, which looks at their drive. My door and their drive is seperated only by the width of my garage.
The noise vibrates throughout as I have a crawlspace underneath. They also leave the headlights on, I have a glass front door, so it illuminates my whole home. What to do?

OP posts:
Pasta4Dinner · 15/03/2026 20:15

It’s illegal to leave your car idling and illegal to leave your car running unattended. Why don’t you just ring 111 and report it.
Hes clearly not going to stop until someone makes him.

Original poster
IdleKnowWhatToDo · 15/03/2026 20:19

Pasta4Dinner · 15/03/2026 20:15

It’s illegal to leave your car idling and illegal to leave your car running unattended. Why don’t you just ring 111 and report it.
Hes clearly not going to stop until someone makes him.

It's on his drive, not on the road. I thought that made a difference? May give 111 a call to clarify

OP posts:
Jc2001 · 15/03/2026 20:25

Pasta4Dinner · 15/03/2026 20:15

It’s illegal to leave your car idling and illegal to leave your car running unattended. Why don’t you just ring 111 and report it.
Hes clearly not going to stop until someone makes him.

Pretty sure it only applies to public roads, not driveways.

Changingplace · 15/03/2026 20:28

What a bizarre thing to do, have you asked them why? I could only think this would be of any use when it’s icy and the car needs to defrost, what on earth is he doing?

Bokeitup · 15/03/2026 20:31

I would be murderous. Selfish prick. Whilst you're addressing it, wear earplugs and a sleep mask.

Original poster
IdleKnowWhatToDo · 15/03/2026 20:35

It's a hybrid, not sure if it makes a difference? They rarely leave the house, or will do very short journeys. The 4.30am start was 30 minutes of idling, for a very short journey (think station drop off). They then allowed the car to idle for another 30 minutes that day, but around 10.30am. I have no idea why a car would need to idle, let alone for an hour in one day.
It's been like this for 6 years, and progressively getting more frequent, and very anti social hours.

OP posts:
MrsLizzieDarcy · 15/03/2026 20:37

I would start keeping a noise log, and report it to environmental health - it's the only way. If they're still doing it after you've talked to them about it, it's not going to change unless they're made to.

searchforthesun · 15/03/2026 20:38

I used to have a neighbour that did this at 5am every morning, I had to move. Im
sorry you are having to put up with it. Are they old? Do they think they need to stop the battery going flat? Are they approachable?

FFSToEverythingSince2020 · 15/03/2026 20:40

IdleKnowWhatToDo · 15/03/2026 20:35

It's a hybrid, not sure if it makes a difference? They rarely leave the house, or will do very short journeys. The 4.30am start was 30 minutes of idling, for a very short journey (think station drop off). They then allowed the car to idle for another 30 minutes that day, but around 10.30am. I have no idea why a car would need to idle, let alone for an hour in one day.
It's been like this for 6 years, and progressively getting more frequent, and very anti social hours.

Hybrid. So it sounds like something is wrong with the car and they’re having to use the engine to charge the battery more and more, or something (this used to be the case with Priuses, I think it was - when the car was idling, it would divert engine power to charge the battery back up). This could be why you only see them take short journeys, I imagine (because their car is on its last legs). But Priuses make almost no noise and this sounds like some kind of loud SUV from hell or something.

Original poster
IdleKnowWhatToDo · 15/03/2026 20:45

No not old, 50s perhaps. We already wear mask and earplugs, but I am in pain most morning from the plus. Plus it wakes the dog. Genuinely have tried to get along with it.

I have no issue with them, have always been polite, hence why I am also polite when I go out there. They have behaved strangely, like filming water from my gutter, dripping on to my fence, and knocking on my door to show me - but I'm sure they think we're odd.

OP posts:
Exhorseygirl · 15/03/2026 20:48

You have my sympathies op.

I am in a similar situation. Our bedroom is at one end of the house, about 1.5m along from our (absolute fucking nightmare for many other reasons) neighbour.

She comes home between 11pm-12am and often leaves at 5am. She leaves it idling on the drive to warm it up before she leaves.

The car is an 04 reg galaxy and sounds like a bloody tractor. It regularly wakes us up.

Because it’s on her private drive there is nothing we can do AFAIK.

Original poster
IdleKnowWhatToDo · 15/03/2026 21:05

Exhorseygirl · 15/03/2026 20:48

You have my sympathies op.

I am in a similar situation. Our bedroom is at one end of the house, about 1.5m along from our (absolute fucking nightmare for many other reasons) neighbour.

She comes home between 11pm-12am and often leaves at 5am. She leaves it idling on the drive to warm it up before she leaves.

The car is an 04 reg galaxy and sounds like a bloody tractor. It regularly wakes us up.

Because it’s on her private drive there is nothing we can do AFAIK.

With my local council, they will review my ring/CCTV footage and noise diary, to see if it meets their statutory nuisance policy.
Might yours have something like that? Mine will write to them anonymously, but it is a formal complaint.

OP posts:
OhWise1 · 15/03/2026 21:09

It's just car noise! The same as living by a road. You cant stop people driving on it at 4.30am.

bonesbuffy · 15/03/2026 21:13

OhWise1 · 15/03/2026 21:09

It's just car noise! The same as living by a road. You cant stop people driving on it at 4.30am.

Edited

It’s not the same, cars driving past is brief but you don’t idle outside for 30 mins at stupid hours of the morning

Original poster
IdleKnowWhatToDo · 15/03/2026 21:19

OhWise1 · 15/03/2026 21:09

It's just car noise! The same as living by a road. You cant stop people driving on it at 4.30am.

Edited

How often do your neighbours leave their car running, unattended, for 30 minutes, most days, at varying times between 3am to 6am, right by your bedroom window?
It's not the same as living by a road, oh, and I live right by the arterial.

OP posts:
Ilovemyshed · 15/03/2026 21:27

Very annoying. Go and stuck some sugar or honey in the fuel 😂

ClaredeBear · 15/03/2026 21:40

OhWise1 · 15/03/2026 21:09

It's just car noise! The same as living by a road. You cant stop people driving on it at 4.30am.

Edited

It’s not the same. We don’t have this issue now but we did (asked them to stop and they did) and we no longer wake up in the early hours. Cars drive up and down our street but that was very different.

NotnowMildrid · 15/03/2026 21:45

He’s an ignorant ass*ole

Get up at 3:30am and do the same to him and see how he likes it.

NotnowMildrid · 15/03/2026 21:47

…or undo the sump plug and watch it being towed away 😁

Happyjoe · 15/03/2026 21:59

As he's up so early he must be going to bed early so stay up late at weekends and sit with your car idling outside his at midnight, 1am. I bet he's in bed by then. Yeah, may be knackering but after a while he may get the message when he too has had no sleep.

Original poster
IdleKnowWhatToDo · 15/03/2026 22:11

Happyjoe · 15/03/2026 21:59

As he's up so early he must be going to bed early so stay up late at weekends and sit with your car idling outside his at midnight, 1am. I bet he's in bed by then. Yeah, may be knackering but after a while he may get the message when he too has had no sleep.

You had the same thought as my friend. I have 2 cars and 2 (very loud) motorbikes they said i should let all idle at the same time.

Alas whilst it makes me smile, I do think of the other neighbours and plus, I'm a registered professional who WFH. I'm sure he'd waste no time in reporting me

OP posts:
ChimpanzeeThatMonkeyNews · 15/03/2026 22:26

OhWise1 · 15/03/2026 21:09

It's just car noise! The same as living by a road. You cant stop people driving on it at 4.30am.

Edited

Nothing wise about your daft comment.

Happyjoe · 15/03/2026 22:29

IdleKnowWhatToDo · 15/03/2026 22:11

You had the same thought as my friend. I have 2 cars and 2 (very loud) motorbikes they said i should let all idle at the same time.

Alas whilst it makes me smile, I do think of the other neighbours and plus, I'm a registered professional who WFH. I'm sure he'd waste no time in reporting me

Show quote history

I guess if you're up for it, let him report you. Sometimes things need to come to a head for it to be resolved.

And.. 2 very loud motorbikes should do it, ha! You probably only need to do this once or twice. I hear you over the other neighbours though.

frogspawn15 · 15/03/2026 22:54

I’d get up and take the keys out the car and throw them into the nearest river/long grass/stinging nettle bush. But that would probably inflame the situation.

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