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Original poster

Neighbour complaining about cool drafts from our house?

39 replies

aus123 · 14/02/2024 11:31

Hi,
We moved into our property in August last year and have an elderly neighbour who we have introduced ourselves to and have had casual chats over the back fence. All has been fine.

On Monday, she knocked on my door and was saying that our central heating is causing cool drafts in her house at night and that she can't sleep and is having to move bedrooms. I have literally no idea what she is talking about because 1. our central heating is not on at night (turned off about 9pm) and 2. how could our central heating even cause this? Obviously our central heating is in our house only and not hers and the boiler is located in a room on the other side of the house. We are in a 1960s row of terraces with breeze block between each house. It's pretty thick so we don't even hear anything from either neighbours.
I tried to get her to explain what she was talking about but I couldn't reason with her at all. She stormed off saying if we don't stop using central heating at night she will take it to the next level whoever that may be?

To add, we have had our kitchen refitted and this is the 3rd (and last) week of these works. Builders have arrived after 8:30am every morning and leave before 3:30pm so no noise outside of working hours. She has also complained to them twice about cool drafts. They are obviously not here at night time.

I want to help her if there's a problem but literally no idea how our central heating could cause any cool drafts in her house.

What can I do if anything? Do I just let her 'escalate' to the next level and then try and talk properly with whoever that is?

OP posts:

ittakes2 · 14/02/2024 13:52

aus123 · 14/02/2024 12:28

Thanks everyone. Your responses of just leave her to carry on and reassure her heating is off at night is what my partner and builders said. I just hate confrontation and would genuinely want to fix if we were in the wrong. But seems like no one knows what she's talking about!

I don't know any of her family unfortunately but have seen a few regular visitors with whom I might try and speak to next time I see them.

While it clearly isn’t you - if you were able to pop over and help her work out what is causing her problem then it would be a nice thing to do.

IncompleteSenten · 14/02/2024 13:53

Don't do anything. Don't even hint at pretending to do something to 'fix' it.
Do that now and next week she'll be complaining about something else, then something else, then something else.

If you have to say anything then a brief that's not how central heating works. I hope you find the problem and don't entertain her more than that.

Karensalright · 14/02/2024 15:19

Is it possible that her house is benefitting from residual heat from your house? In which case it would make more sense that her house cools down when your central heating is off. So i would ask her at about what time does this happen, which room she was sleeping in, and which room she is now.

If it is that you cannot very well keep your heating on for her. Like someone else said she may need better insulation or double glazing old and effective. I know it would bother me if my neighbour was doing this.

aitchteeaitch · 14/02/2024 15:31

Your central heating cannot possibly be responsible for the issue in any way. I would completely ignore the issue for the time being. Next time she complains about these draughts, say you turn your heating off at night, like she asked you to do.

If she still keeps going on about it, then she can take it to the next level can't she, whatever that is. A letter to the council probably.

In the meantime, it might be worth checking whether she leaves any of her windows open at night. Maybe pop out and have a look. An open window is going to cause a draught, and she might be forgetting to close it.

Just out of interest, how old is she?

Katiesaidthat · 14/02/2024 15:46

Sounds like my mum. Sha has just been diagnosed with alzheimers. How old is this person?

TheSnowyOwl · 14/02/2024 15:50

How the flippity flip would or could OP know that?

I could and lots of other people could pick up on numerous suggestions of it during a few conversations and interactions.

This kind of completely irrational behaviour is often seen in those with dementia. If the OP doesn’t know, then they don’t know but it’s a consideration for the future if the neighbour continues to behave in certain ways.

MaggieFS · 14/02/2024 15:55

Agree, just tell her you've done it and if she persists, repeat.

dimllaishebiaith · 14/02/2024 15:56

Karensalright · 14/02/2024 15:19

That's what i wondered

It's possible that the last owners kept the heating on all night which was making her house warmer at night, especially if her bedroom is on an adjoining wall

And then if you now don't have the heating on overnight her room feels colder

But she had the reason confused?

I mean whatever the cause is there's likely little to nothing you can do to fix it, but this would at least make more sense of what's going on

aitchteeaitch · 14/02/2024 17:00

She's possibly read some article in the Daily Mail about air source heat pumps for central heating, got completely confused about how they work, and now believes that your central heating blasts out cold air, which is then coming into her house.

dottiedodah · 14/02/2024 17:29

BilingualSpingual LOL just wondering how a builder can be "quiet"!

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 14/02/2024 17:42

Is it noise from a bathroom ventilation fan? Maybe you’ve upgraded an extraction fan and it’s the noise?

ClematisBlue49 · 14/02/2024 19:08

Whatever you say is unlikely to persuade her that she is in the wrong, unfortunately. It sounds as though the building work has unsettled her, or perhaps exacerbated a mental health issue.

Could you offer to send one of the builders round to take a look? She may be more likely to believe you if she has a second opinion from a professional. Otherwise I think the only option is to keep saying that the CH is not on at night, and don't be afraid to keep repeating the same answer. If she wants to escalate it, she can (though I'm not sure how exactly).

Original poster

aus123 · 14/02/2024 21:32

English isn't her first language but she is fluent. She's probably 80+ years old.
Definitely no extractor fan - our bathroom is also on the other side of the house where the boiler in airing cupboard also is. No aircon units either. Our CH is also barely on - 18.5 degrees downstairs and 17 upstairs when we're both home, so evenings and intermittently on weekends. I'd think her house would be warmer than ours.

Thinking more about it, it's probably to do with the building work. About 6 weeks ago in the back garden she commented on how we got new french doors and how nice they were. Then 2 weeks ago told the builder off for changing the windows and doors (which were already there and were nice 6 weeks ago?).

Also just thinking her 2 rooms that adjoin our house are her bathroom and box single room. The 2 doubles are her other neighbour. Most likely she sleeps in one of the doubles but who knows.

All very confusing and I know I'm worrying over nothing. Anyway, hoping it stops once the main loud building stuff is done which is tomorrow!

OP posts:

Tiggermom · 15/02/2024 07:40

I always think keep in with your neighbours - perhaps offer her the chance to come and see there are no drafts on her rooms.

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