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Original poster

Neighbour died and home has not been cleaned since

210 replies

Frogponder · 11/05/2025 07:56

Our elderly next door neighbour who lived alone died last month.

We and other neighbours noticed we hadn’t seen him about and his lights were on all night so we called the police who sent in a paramedic who found him. They took the body and told us he’d died a week earlier, which was shocking and sad.

Since then nobody seems to have been into the property, and we’re getting worried about rotting food, flies, rodents etc.

Another neighbour has written to the council and put a letter through the letterbox for the Executor (hoping there is one).

That neighbour is now suggesting we could all go in and just clear out the rotting food ourselves as the back door is unlocked.

Though this would be the quickest way to prevent a possible pest problem my instinct is that we should not go in, it would be trespassing (and unpleasant) and should be dealt with by the council. But the council may not deal with it quickly as they are over-stretched.

Any advice?

OP posts:
FancyNewt · 11/05/2025 08:00

No of course you shouldn't do that. Unless you are all watching the house 24 hours a day then you have no idea whose been there and what's happening. Deal with a pest problem if one arises.

MoreChocPls · 11/05/2025 08:01

Don’t go in as you have no idea about this persons family etc. log it with council and leave alone.

GoodonHamzah · 11/05/2025 08:03

I can’t believe that a group of adults think breaking in to this property would be a good idea

GoodonHamzah · 11/05/2025 08:03

It’s been a few weeks OP

oncemoreuntothebeachdearfriends · 11/05/2025 08:06

Is it a council house?

bigknitblanket · 11/05/2025 08:08

It should be dealt with by the council, but you’re right they’re over stretched and unlikely to come quickly.
I’m going to go against the grain and say if I had a neighbour who appeared to have no family, and the door was unlocked and the kitchen was potentially full of rotting food…I’d agree with your neighbour and deal with it. I’d make sure two people went in so nobody could be accused of theft of valuables.

MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel · 11/05/2025 08:08

Is it a council owned property?

If so, they can't go in and treat it as a void property until they have the death certificate because until they have that in hand they can't end the tenancy (and thereby have no rights to just go in the house). The certificate can take time..

If you get pests/rodents then report it. But otherwise leave it alone until the councils cleaning team are able to go in.

Seeyousoonboo · 11/05/2025 08:09

The old chap next door to me has either died or gone into care as his house is now empty. I haven't even thought about rotting food, are you seeing lots of vermin and flies around the place then?? I always cut his front lawn and continue to do so so it doesn't look empty.

IDontHateRainbows · 11/05/2025 08:09

We had a similar thing with our next door neighbour. We contacted the police as they'd attended to remove the body, there was no next of kin. Someone must have been sent round yo empty stuff as next thing the bins were full.

Longhotsummers · 11/05/2025 08:11

When you say rotting food, what do you imagine? At worst the fridge will have some that is off in it but that will be shut. There may be some fruit and bread out but I dont know what else you’d be concerned about.
it’s awful someone has put a note through - imagine being family and being greeted by that from over-invested neighbours.

VirgosNeedGoals · 11/05/2025 08:12

I would do it to be honest, two of you go in and clear basic things so bin and fridge. But get a third neighbour to film you so there's evidence you haven't damaged anything.

londongirl12 · 11/05/2025 08:12

Of course you can’t go in!!! And not to be too graphic, but if he was dead in there a week, it will be extremely unpleasant and need specialist cleaning.

JohnAmendAll · 11/05/2025 08:19

There might be a bowl of rotten fruit, but presumably anything likely to rot badly enough to attract vermin is in a fridge and, even if the electricity is off, it's in a sealed airtight cabinet.

I think you are worrying over nothing OP and, in any case, I would NOT go in even if the back door is open.

JohnAmendAll · 11/05/2025 08:20

VirgosNeedGoals · 11/05/2025 08:12

I would do it to be honest, two of you go in and clear basic things so bin and fridge. But get a third neighbour to film you so there's evidence you haven't damaged anything.

Legally, that is all SO dodgy I cannot begin to describe.

GoodonHamzah · 11/05/2025 08:21

It is actually quite concerning that the OP and neighbours even think this is remotely reasonable

terrifying actually!

Original poster
Frogponder · 11/05/2025 08:25

It’s not a council property.

Yes the fact that the paramedic thought he had died about 7 days earlier makes me think that specialist cleaners are needed.

We don’t think he had any family as he never seemed to have visitors, in 20 plus years of us living next door he always used to ask us neighbours for help with any problems with fixing things in his very run down home, no relatives were ever around to help him.

OP posts:
sausagepastapot · 11/05/2025 08:25

Do not go in, you're all being absolutely mental. Stop meddling.

It'll be dealt with. and it is absolutely not your place to get involved!!!

WhateverYouSayDears · 11/05/2025 08:26

londongirl12 · 11/05/2025 08:12

Of course you can’t go in!!! And not to be too graphic, but if he was dead in there a week, it will be extremely unpleasant and need specialist cleaning.

Yes, exactly.

GoodonHamzah · 11/05/2025 08:26

Frogponder · 11/05/2025 08:25

It’s not a council property.

Yes the fact that the paramedic thought he had died about 7 days earlier makes me think that specialist cleaners are needed.

We don’t think he had any family as he never seemed to have visitors, in 20 plus years of us living next door he always used to ask us neighbours for help with any problems with fixing things in his very run down home, no relatives were ever around to help him.

Sadly not having visitors is not an indication that no family

OP it’s been a few weeks
just leave it

LoafofSellotape · 11/05/2025 08:27

Talk about whipping yourself up into a frenzy 🙄

Can't believe anyone think this is a good idea.

spicemaiden · 11/05/2025 08:29

He was dead inside his home for a week. Trust me, you do not want to go in there. Not to mention you have absoloutly no business and no right to enter the property.

Cadenza12 · 11/05/2025 08:29

So the lights were on for a week before anyone did anything? I'd leave well alone.

LavenderFields7 · 11/05/2025 08:30

If it is classed as a suspicious death there may be an investigation, I wouldn’t go near the house in case they need to gather evidence. For example the person may have got food poisoning and died from that, they may want to see what they ate before they died (food packets, food in fridge etc). I would stay out of it.

endingintiers · 11/05/2025 08:31

Here’s my advice: leave the fuck alone. It’s not your property and you will be breaking the law by trespassing. If you end up with a vermin problem then call the council. Can’t believe you’re even thinking this is reasonable.

CoolNoMore · 11/05/2025 08:35

We moved into a flat not realising the downstairs neighbour was dead in the ground floor flat. Four months later the council got annoyed that she wasn't paying her rent and investigated. The smell had come up through the floor boards a little but only a whiff here and there (I thought it was a dead mouse somewhere). When they opened it all up the smell was absolutely horrendous for a day or two, but that was it. They didn't actually clean and clear the place until months and months later, and there were no issues.

I'm telling you this in the hope that it is reassuring, not terrifying. At least the body has been removed.