Neighbours windows

[Ondisplay247]

First time poster and I'm unsure I have posted this is the right place. I have scoured the internet to see if I can find any information about this and am also waiting for the local authority to respond to my query. However, I thought I would post here to find out if anyone else has had a similar problem.

My neighbours property, to the rear of me is built right up to the property boundary. They have several windows that face us. The ground floor windows are frosted and although its not ideal at least they cannot see into our garden. The top floor window is not frosted. This provides them with a view of our entire garden and they can see into our kitchen, two bathrooms and a bedroom. In Winter this will be worse as when we turn the lights on we will be even more visible. We can close the shutters in our bathrooms and bedroom however the kitchen has French doors which do not have shutters. In this instance I do not feel I should be trying to make my kitchen private as I enjoy the light (the kitchen faces North so any light is appreciated).

The neighbours have just moved in. Our old neighbours kept the curtains closed all the time in the top floor room. The also hung an extra piece of fabric at the window for additional privacy. It didn't look good from our side but at least we could enjoy our garden in the warmer months.

Please bear in mind that the only view from the neighbours top window is of our garden and also into our house. They cannot see beyond our house as our house is taller.

The new neighbour introduced themself by opening their ground floor window and began chatting to me whilst I was in my garden. I found this a little off and hope they don't think this is acceptable. However, perhaps this behaviour is a one off so I will let it slide. I took this opportunity to mention the top floor window and and was met with the (sadly) expected unfriendliness. I did explain that perhaps they were not aware of how intrusive the unfrosted window is for us. I asked if they were going to do something about but go no response.

The next morning, early, I noticed the neighbour walking in our road and could see they were trying to determine which house was ours. I'm not sure what this means but perhaps they were looking for our door number.

The curtains in the neighbours top window are open all the time. I can see into there property If I am at my window looking at my garden.

Do I have any right to ask for the top window to be frosted? Even just using that sticky back frosting you can stick on windows would suffice and is a good cheap option for the neighbour. As mention their property is built up to the boundary - they cannot even open their ground floor windows fully without coming onto our property.

Thanks for taking the time to read this - looking forward to getting some honest feedback.

Thanks for the update OP. Well done for a potential successful outcome following the discussion with your neighbour. 👏

That's amazing OP, well done! 👏

Sounds like a brilliant result, OP. Well done, you'll be getting the benefit for years now of a good relationship with your neighbours.

Brilliant outcome OP, v pleased for you.

We moved into a flat with a small bedroom window that overlooked the neighbours. There was a film on the inside that I naively pulled off thinking it was just a protective film that someone had forgotten to remove. Nope - it was actually a mirrored privacy screen (although I think on the wrong way round as I was always able to see through it). As soon as I took it off, the neighbours complained to the council who wrote to us to tell us to block it up! We managed to negotiate installing a bathroom style opaque window instead and the case was closed.

I think what had happened was the freeholder cut a new window without relevant planning permission (which you need for new openings if they overlook), agreed privately with Next Door to install the privacy screen, which I then removed as I was none the wiser. Because it was mirrored on the other side the neighbours had a false sense of security that we weren't able to see out.

Anyway the point I'm trying to make is you may have some headway with the council if you are very overlooked and Next Door was done without planning permission, but presumably this is unlikely.

Oh crikey I am not usually one to not RTFT apologies

It doesn't make any sense for them to frost their windows... they'll still be able to see into your home, you just won't be able to see them doing it!

There are a few houses near me that have living room windows close to the pavement. To stop people looking in they have put mirrored vinyls on their windows. They can see out and the light can go in but no one can see into their homes. Why don't you do that?

Just seen your update Op. happy you went over

I do wonder if the window on the boundary was legally opened.
Regardless, a quick Google suggests frosting might be mandatory in that situation.
I'd still check how you stand legally and with the Council.

Beware of allowing them access to your property. Get everything in writing, including insurance cover for any damage to your property.

Where I live, only very narrow windows would have been allowed, and with the permission of the owners of the adjacent property.

@Lweji but the neighbours property was there first?

Of course they wouldn't be able to see out of a frosted window. That's the reason it's often specified for overlooking windows.

Thanks for update OP.

I'm still waiting to hear from the LA. They state 10 days but if your council is anything like mine it more like 10 weeks. I know very little about the neighbours extension. The little I do know is from a neighbour who has lived in the same road (as our rear neighbours) since the 60's. He says the extension was done in the 50's and that its unlikely I will have any legal recourse due to it being over 50 years ago. He also mentioned that the ground floor toilet (one of the ground floor frosted windows) was plumbed through my back garden as they did not want to take the plumbing through their house. This is all speculation really and I am not taking it too seriously.
However, what happens if the LA and planning confirm that they are not supposed to have any windows at the rear? I am now on good terms with the new neighbour and I don't want to rock the boat. They may already be aware. It could affect us selling the house one day although this wont be for a very very long time.
I cannot see through my frosted windows so there may be different levels.
If anyone is still interested I will post here when I hear back from the council.
Thank you for the advice re the neighbours builders - yes I will ensure they have insurance and will get the full nature of the works and a timescale confirmed in writing before they start. I will be at home to monitor the work.

I believe the neighbours property was there before ours. However the extension which reaches the boundary was done much later.

Council will not do anything retrospectively that far back. We had a 1980s house on a corner with a side on neighbour at the rear, landing window overlooking our garden and lounge. Non habitable rooms were not required to be obscured. If you have resolved it amicably just notify council it is no longer an issue.

The room/window in question is a hallway so not a habitable room. I don't think we have any claim or rights and honestly I'm just relieved that the situation has worked out. We will be here for a very long time so its really important to me that there is no hostility.

I think you and your partner did really well in going round again. Sounds like everybody is being very mature and sensible. Good job! Hope it works out.

@Ondisplay247 There will be no recourse if the window is there without planning permission. As you have come to such a good solution for both you and the neighbour - I would withdraw the query to the LA - they may contact your neighbour directly, and all the good work ensuring a good relationship with them may be undone.

@Ondisplay247
If you plant bamboo, make sure the the clumping variety not running because it will spread fast and can undermine foundations. A neighbour planted running bamboo along our boundary and it's now invading our garden and will be costly to remove.

+1.
We removed awful conifers at the end of our garden, they were shading the people at the back horribly. They were very grateful. Now we can see into their house, up and down stairs. And they can see into our house and downstairs ( land slopes). But I don't waste my time hanging out the windows with binoculars looking in to their house because I have a life. Same with them. And I don't care if they can see into ours.
(I burn in the sun so don't subathe in the nude.😉)
Also, you'd be surprised how often they or we can't see into the others' houses because of the light direction anyway- with 2x glazing, reflections on the glass make it hard to see into our house even from our garden.