'My neighbours are demanding to use my pool - they won't take no for an answer'

9 June 2022, 13:42

A man has spoken of his upset after his neighbours demanded to use his swimming pool.

An anonymous man has asked for advice after his neighbours demanded that he let them use the swimming pool in his back garden.

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Taking to Reddit, the man explained that there was a pool already in the home that he and his spouse had recently moved into.

Just a few months after they moved in, however, a number of people living in surrounding houses began asking them if they could come and make use of the pool, claiming that the previous owners had allowed them to do so whenever they liked.

The man revealed that he and his spouse are 'private people', and that they don't want people coming into their garden whenever they wanted.

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He wrote: "My spouse and I bought a house in February with a pool. It's a single family home, and we keep ourselves to ourselves. We have friends over occasionally and we enjoy having people over for food, drinks, and of course swimming pool parties now that the weather allows for it.

"We fit in the neighbourhood, or so we thought until the neighbours from three surrounding homes got into a weird conversation with us around their expectations to access the pool for weekend and holiday pool parties.

"Apparently, the owners before us had kids who were friends with the neighbourhood kids. The neighbourhood kids and adults would use the pool when they wanted to. The gate was always open and they even had their inflatables nearby and had arranged to split the payment for the maintenance of the pool.

"We told them that we're fairly private people and enjoy our privacy and don't see ourselves letting neighbours have access to our backyard whenever they want. Each time any of us are wandering around outside, they just ask over and over and try to sell the idea of having access to it. They offer money and offer to share the maintenance fees and such."

He added: "I was trying to enjoy gardening and was cornered once again. I just really firmly told them that they really need to stop talking about the pool each time they see us, stood up and left.

"We politely decline over and over, and we are seriously getting tired of the nagging and the pool and their access to it being the only thing they want to connect with us about. It's not like we created a bond or anything, all conversations are just about the pool.

"We had a party yesterday evening and as I was showing the front yard to my friend, my neighbour popped up and was talking about how it must be nice to be invited to enjoy the pool. Am I wrong for not wanting the neighbours to have access to my property and seriously losing my patience with their expectations?"

Many people rushed to support the man, with one writing: "Those are some entitled persistent neighbours. Also the liability of having an open gate for everyone's access. What if a kid wandered in and drowned? That will be on you. Stand your ground, I would do the same. Good luck!"

Another added: "You need to consider a lock on the gate if there isn't one already and cameras near the gate and pool just in case. Maybe even a nice no trespassing sign on the gate. If they think you're out of town, they might help themselves to a swim and that is a huge liability."

A third said: "They're grown adults. They can buy their own pool if they want one."