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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be a bit concerned as next door neighbour is lettting his house out?

130 replies

fifitot · 04/09/2009 19:26

I live in a fairly good area and have nice neighbours on the whole. The guy next door is moving out and is letting his house. I mean we could get really nice people in but of course we might not. My parents had this happen to them and are now living with the neighbours from hell so I suppose I am sensitive to this.

There is no reason for tenants to be any worse than owner occupiers as DH points out and if he sells it you would have the same concerns. It's just that I think renters just don't have the same 'investment' iykwim. I worry if we get young people sharing who might be noisy etc....Or some serial benefit wastrels.

Maybe I am just being a snob or paranoid or both!

OP posts:
WebDude · 06/09/2009 11:12

Yes, mummywilldrive, it seems to me that 'rude' as the teacher's attitude is, perhaps she feels that being 'stand offish' is the only way to guarantee no accusation of some 'unwanted relationship'.

I can see it's not ideal, but the coincidence of happening to live near a pupil is one of those things, and while it would be nice to think that if the weather was rotten there'd be the chance of a lift to/from school, even that's unlikely as there has to be a 'gap' just like a neighbour in the police is unlikely to ever have to visit your locality in case someone is let-off or (because they've had an argument the week before) gets the book thrown at him...

A professional 'isolation' is sometimes required, or assumed, and while it's a rude way to do it, blanking your child seems to be the approach that particular teacher has adopted, albeit one I would think unfair.

A simple - "Yes, but when I am working, you are just another pupil here" might have been a bit more understandable (even if some might consider that the 'when I'm not at work' side could be friendlier, you know it isn't going to happen).

WidowWadman · 06/09/2009 11:17

Snob.

Ponymum · 06/09/2009 11:29

If you live in a nice area there is every chance you will get tenants who are like you. And more so at the moment because there are lots of 'homeowners' who have cashed up but not yet bought another property due to the confusing state of the property and mortgage markets. Like us! We currently rent while 'between houses'. And as far as investment in the property - with the help of the landlord we have just done a total landscaping of the rear garden and put in a new lawn, new paving and loads of new plants. It does make me a bit cross when people make sweeping judgements about renters.

ElieRM · 06/09/2009 11:37

I was unaware that anyone held any prejudice against renters before this thread (naive)
I honestly don't know whether my neighbours buy or rent and I really don't care. We rent AND we're students AND we get benefits AND we're parents in our (very) late teens.
But we're still good neighbours.

Mrmoggz · 29/04/2017 21:47

I worked in Social Housing for years and saw bad owners and bad renters alike. I'm sure many people have heard about bad renters, and the bad ones can be really bad. Perhaps what is less commonly publicised is just how bad some private owners can be, I'm talking real arrogant, nasty, wife beating scum. Its really pot luck either way, but I wouldn't personally be scared by a family renting their home.

Funnyface1 · 29/04/2017 22:01

I don't think it's snobby, it's just a concern, you never know who you're going to get. People aren't riff raff just because they rent, most are just saving up their deposit so they can buy. Try not to worry too much and good luck.

Funnyface1 · 29/04/2017 22:04

Ooh, just seen serial benefits wastrels. That's not nice.

EwanWhosearmy · 29/04/2017 22:06

Did you really need to reanimate an 8 year old zombie?!

Think op will be used to the tenants by now.

mumtomaxwell · 29/04/2017 22:20

Our next door neighbours are tennents and they're lovely. Before that we had the most horrible neighbours who made our lives miserable for months! However the HUGE benefit of it being a rented house is that I could complain to the letting agent very frequently... The landlord got so sick of it he kicked them out.

Having bad neighbours is awful and I am now so paranoid about it that as soon as any near neighbours have a 'to let' sign outside I notice which agent it is - just in case I need to complain again!!

Thinking about it 3 out of the four houses I've owned have had a rented house next door... Over 14 years and those 8 months last year were the only time we've had any problems!

Funnyface1 · 29/04/2017 22:24

Omg this thread is so old Grin didn't notice.

Islayskye · 29/04/2017 22:35

'Serial' benefits wastrels? So first time benefits wastrels will be ok then?
Yabvvu

PeanutButterBunny · 29/04/2017 23:25

YANBU. But if you live in a nice area you should be ok. No sane experienced landlord would put in those horrible types in a nice house. Before we bought our house we used to rent and also let DH's houses. We were great tenants, considerate paid bills on time, but our own tenants were benefit wastrels. Fit all the stereotypes and made our lives hell. And it wasn't easy to kick them out particularly single mums who would rather buy ciggies than paying rent for months. We would not consider people on benefit anymore after our years of horrible experiences. Maybe I'm a snob but unless youve dealt with people who have nothing to lose and take joy in making your life hell, I really dont give a shit if you think I'm one :)

kateyjane · 30/04/2017 00:28

I think that you have an outdated view about families who rent. We are a family with 4 children, we wanted them to have a bedroom each and a lovely house. However, despite earning over£100k a year between us, we have no deposit.

We live in the north, our house is worth £600,000. We would never have got a mortgage for this. We pay £1350 a month and have now lived here for 3 years. There are similar families either side of us (investment properties).

I think our rent is similar (probably less) than a mortgage repayment on the same property. I know we'll never 'own' it, but it is definitely home!

I really think that it is time that England viewed renting in a different light. I know we will never own our house, but we live here and have a great deal of freedom, if something goes wrong, it's not our responsibility. I know we won't necessarily have property to leave to our children, but don't see this as an issue.

I really hope that renting becomes much more mainstream in the future (like in Europe). At the moment there are two very distinct markets - private rentals with dodgy landlords/tenants in the lower part of the market. Then the decent (sometimes!) higher end, which is generally more stable.

I'm sure your new neighbours will be a bog standard family (depending on number of bedrooms). It will be exactly the same risk, whether buyer or renter. If they're not nice (&renting) at least you might get rid of them quicker 😀

I am sure it will be fine.

EduCated · 30/04/2017 00:48

Z O M B I E T H R E A D

Fuck me. How on earth do these get dragged up?

PerspicaciaTick · 30/04/2017 01:03

ZOMBIE
ZOMBIE
ZOMBIE
ZOMBIE
ZOMBIE
ZOMBIE
ZOMBIE
ZOMBIE

Eight years - that has got to be some sort of record.

sarahmum27 · 30/04/2017 01:12

We are renters, all our homes have had owner neighbours, and Iv never had brilliant neighbours.
Our current ones, barely work and sit in the garden all day semi naked.Hmm

For a start do you know the cost of renting??
Do you know how hard it is for dss applicants to rent a home, if you're In a nice area they're more then likely to be high earners, that could more then afford a mortgage but either move about a lot for work, or haven't the deposit for a house.

You're being an ignorant snob sorry.

R2G · 30/04/2017 01:17

'Serial benefit wastrel' - YABU.
I actually don't like living next door to a rental - they have all been lovely but want to make friends, have coffee, get to know you etc etc which I don't really have time for and then they always move on over a few years.
However, they have a deposit put down and so look after the property as you are wrong to say they have no investment.

sleepyowl12 · 30/04/2017 01:59

I know this is a zombie thread but @kateyjane can I ask are you concerned that you will still be having to pay rent when you retire and a lot of owners will have paid their mortgages off? I ask as someone who will never be able to own.

scottishdiem · 30/04/2017 02:12

Seriously Mrmoggz that must have taken some effort to raise this thread from the dead.

Peanutandphoenix · 30/04/2017 03:23

Your a rude judgemental snob I rent and none of my neighbours or landlords have ever had a problem with me I would hate to have someone like you as my neighbour.

DailyFailstinks · 30/04/2017 07:49

My neighbours from hell were owner occupiers - it made it so much more difficult to do anything about the noise. YABU.

AngryGinger · 30/04/2017 08:38

YABU, very very much so. We rent and we are model tenants, our landlord told us as much. Your op is unbelievable, I'm glad my neighbours aren't like you. I don't have any money tied up in the house, but it is my home. And the landlord could turn round tomorrow and say he was selling it and we'd be back to square one. I hope if that happens that I won't get a neighbour like you who looks down their nose at me and my OH because we rent.

Writerwannabe83 · 30/04/2017 08:53

My neighbour is a fucking nightmare!

I live in a nice quiet cul-de-sac, very family centered in that most of us gave young children, and the guy who rents the house out nex to me is a 25 year old single man who two weekends out of four has house parties. They start at 9pm and usually last until about 2am (the latest being 4am) where he has about twenty people over at a time where they scream and shout at the top of their voices whilst playing music. They also infiltrate the back garden and hang around the street too. He's an absolute selfish prick.

Last night I managed to get to sleep at 2.30am. My three year old son was awake from 11.15pm until 1.30am as he was upset and crying, and unable to sleep due to the level of noise coming through his bedroom wall.

Me and DH go round constantly to tell them to shut the fuck up and we simply ignored. We have contacted the Landlord so many times (including me leaving tearful voice messages on his phone at silly hours in the morning) but he isn't interested. He said it's basically our word against his tenants and his tenant has told him that DH and I are over exaggerating and just trying to cause trouble. Many neighbour's have also complained to the Landlord but still nothing gets done.

We have contacted Environmental Health but they weren't particularly helpful either.

This has been going on for well over a year now and life is miserable at times.

The guy is clearly just an absolutely selfish dickhead and I wish so much that he'd just piss off.

I'm currently 24 weeks pregnant and I'm hoping I get a baby that screams 24/7 in the desperation it will make him want to move!!

YANBU OP - it's a nightmare getting new neighbours and not know what coming your way....

PutThatPomBearBack · 30/04/2017 08:59

Ah yes, because renters are noisy peasants Hmm

PutThatPomBearBack · 30/04/2017 08:59

Ah fuckGrin