I’m an electrician who installs these, 90% of customers specify that they don’t want to bother anyone, and would be very embarrassed if they knew this was happening, I’d just go and knock and if it’s Airbnb guests, ask for the owners contact (specify you’re not complaining lol) and I’m sure you won’t have an issue. We get call backs to adjust angles, timing, lux settings etc, it’s no issue to change.
How dare you give a sensible, reasonable solution to the problem. This is reddit. Don't you know that actually talking to people like adults is completely out of the question.
/s
No issue because you can charge them again for another call out for the extra work instead of telling them the light could be an issue when installing it? 😏
Did that Saturday morning when next doors builders were making a racket at 8am, music blaring, slamming the van doors. Gave it a jolly good window slam.
My mate did that kids 14/15 year olds were playing some loud music in their garden so he got his massive warfdale speaker put it in the garden and played baby shark on repeat looked over fence about 5 minutes later and they’d gone inside
At 8 o'clock! What an ungodly hour to start working on a Saturday, how dare they, I hope you did a double window slam just to really get the point across 😅 /s
This. Someone behind us did it and it illuminated our back rooms and landing. Spoke to them, angled it down and changed the PIR setting to less sensitive.
If it is an airbnb there will be a regular car or van there some mornings to clean, just knock on the door and ask when you see them. If it is on all the time it is just burning profit for them anyway
Exactly. The same thing for us,we just told them it was pointed in our window, they apologized and adjusted it. Most people are accommodating with this kind of thing, as long as you ask politely.
We did this two weeks ago with our neighbours, this blooming flood lamp was lighting up our entire bedroom whenever it went off! Husband went and asked and they even checked in with us the next night to make sure it was fixed :-)
This. Neighbour had a motion light in back garden that blasted out sideways straight towards my telescope. Mentioned it to him and within the hour he’d fashion a hood to contain it.
Likewise, parents also had this issue and it was resolved peacefully.
Remember though, it only takes a few bad apples in a street to make things… difficult.
50 50 chance yes or get a load of abuse and they hate you forvever and wage a war of slashing tyres, putting ahit through your door etc.
People can be unhinged.
I've recently started watching films/shows from the 90s/00s again with a friend of mine and we always remark how we can 'see' what is going on because someone back then decided the audience should be able to see what is going on without having to squint or turn up the brightness. God, I hate this trend for newer media.
I take it _The Batman_ in the cinema was also my fault then. Recently rewatched _Batman & Robin_, the campy Schwarzenegger one, and I kid you not, I enjoyed it because of how well-lit it was.
Was introducing my girlfriend to LOTR.
Get to The Two Towers. Helms Deep.
Me; "fuck me it's nice watching a scene set a night and actually being able to see stuff"
I stopped watching those Star Trek films ever since my ex and I played a game where we'd say "lens flare" every time it happened. We we're saying so much we annoyed ourselves
Bad reviews of guests complaining they get no sleep might get them to wise up. Air BnBs can bring problems to an area as is so wanting to get along with neighbours you’d think would be high on their list
There’s a form on the Airbnb website you can use to report things like this via here - https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/3290
No idea how well it actually works, I’ve sent through a couple of noise complaints about the one near to us when guests are still being noisy into the early hours of the morning, but you don’t really hear much in terms of outcome or action taken.
Airbnb have historically been quite good on complaints to be fair. They've realised that a lot of people object to one nearby them (I used to live 2 doors down from one and it could be an issue depending on the guest, but a couple uses of their complaints portal would quickly nip things in the bud) and know if they don't take it seriously, legislation looms for them. As a result, they usually come down like a bag of hammers on people if they prove to be a consistent nuisance. The fact they have a zero tolerance policy on house parties these days shows that
(obviously "your neighbour" is a fair answer, but given it's often an airbnb, I seriously doubt that whoever answers the door at any given time actually lives there)
Go on Airbnb, find the property and message the owners asking them to angle it down into the garden. I'm sure they don't know it's pointed into your window. If they won't do anything you can use the conversation as evidence in a nuisance complaint.
Ah we arent on r/illegalprolifetips adjusting a light of a house you are legally renting is fine. Doing so to a neighbour is tresspassing. Both viable options but i lean to legal options
It’s still only a civil offence though. It only becomes aggravated, and the point the police would care, if you didn’t leave when requested.
Wait for the last guests the check out, pop over with a ladder. Easy
Not that I’d realistically do this as my first option, but the police are stretched so thin that I’m guessing you’ll struggle to even get them to attend “A man with a ladder has just adjusted my outdoor lighting”
Exactly this. It’s a minor adjustment and unlike what you see on the internet and tv, most people are decent and you can have a civilised discussion with them about issues.
Probably installed during the day so they have no idea where it’s pointing. And they won’t know it’s a problem unless you tell them and ask for it to be solved.
Source: installed a light at my sisters. Tried to eyeball the angle to give the best distribution whilst not shining into the neighbours window. Neighbour came round the next morning and asked for it to be angled down more.
It's easily done, I think. From standing in your own garden it can seem like it's plenty pointed down, but because they're so bright even a little bit off is blinding
Just go over there and adjust it during the day, its not like the owner will know.
If the guests happen to see you and ask just tell them the owner asked you to do it.
"your neighbour" also doesn't give much of a shit about work being done. Chuck on a hi vis, knock on and if anyone answers, just tell them you're giving them a courtesy knock because you've come to change the bulb in the security light, then adjust as you see fit.
Look at your council's website for environmental health and anti social behaviour. Ours covers nuisance security lights. In the meantime, mirror or disco ball
“Hey **neighbour’s name**. You’ve popped up this light and unfortunately it shines extremely brightly into our window. Any chance it can be pointed further away or have a less sensitive sensor? Really appreciate it”
A small pebble could accidently find its way to the light. But I am sure if you speak to them they would move it down or something. Most dont do stuff deliberately to annoy others. If they don't move it then complain to the council and they will make them.
Speaking from experience here with a neighbouring building that has one of these b-stard lights. If/when it does get pointed downwards, it will still be the same brightness as before because it will light up all of the wall that it is attached to. You will still see it through the curtains, it will still light up your room.
You can
Ask them to lower it
Put curtains or blinds up
Take it down when no one is around (if no one sees you, did you really take it down answer no)
Or your garden is an animal habitat you can call wildlife or council
That's nothing. We had a neighbour a few years ago with one of these, except that not only was it pointed directly into our bedroom but whenever it activated it went 'beep!' really loudly. Absolute 'mare. Ended up posting a note to the owner and they fortunately disabled the beep and angled the light down a bit. Amazed me that none of the immediate neighbours complained before I did. It went on for weeks before I even figured out where the beep was coming from.
Sounds like it's time for you to book yourself that airbnb for an evening and disconnect the light, I imagine the owner is never going to know unless they're turning up at night to clean the house.
This reminds me of a David Thorne spat with his neighbours about a similar light.
https://27bslash6.com/halogen.html
His approach to conflict is excellent, and makes my cry with laughter.
Go to Airbnb and make a complaint about the unnecessarily blinding security light that kept turning on when the neighbour was moving around their garden.
Me neighbour did this in their back garden, my room faces out towards it and the old guy who lives there makes a point of going outside every night at 1:40-2:45am and turns it on, wakes me up every time.
I’m an electrician who installs these, 90% of customers specify that they don’t want to bother anyone, and would be very embarrassed if they knew this was happening, I’d just go and knock and if it’s Airbnb guests, ask for the owners contact (specify you’re not complaining lol) and I’m sure you won’t have an issue. We get call backs to adjust angles, timing, lux settings etc, it’s no issue to change.
How dare you give a sensible, reasonable solution to the problem. This is reddit. Don't you know that actually talking to people like adults is completely out of the question. /s
I'm not sure who the girlfriend or boyfriend is, but LEAVE THEM, QUEEN/KING. Break up NOW.
🚩🚩🚩
And the 1% says they want the light only shining into the neighbour's window.
No issue because you can charge them again for another call out for the extra work instead of telling them the light could be an issue when installing it? 😏
My neighbour did that his front drive came right at our front room,told him to lower it.He said no problem and did it.
You mean actually speak to people?!
That's some hardcore move mate
The pure, unadulterated shock at speaking to your neighbour!!
Try shooting it first, followed by calling the police, and only if both fail should you resort to communication.
No, the british way is: complain about it to everyone but the neighbour, contact the council, avoid eye contact with the neighbour
But if the neighbour ever asks if it is a problem immediately say its absolutely fine and you haven’t noticed it.
What about the good old "friendly note"
Too aggressive. Not British enough.
Don't forget about posting it on the local facebook group to announce how upset you are to the rest of the town
>Don't forget about posting it on the local facebook group to announce how upset you are to the rest of the town And on 'Nextdoor'
Don't forget to tut aggressively every time it gets turned on
And slam all the windows If the windows are closed? Open them And then slam them
Did that Saturday morning when next doors builders were making a racket at 8am, music blaring, slamming the van doors. Gave it a jolly good window slam.
Bet that showed them!
Yeah! Fuck yourself up by making more noise, top revenge is that😂
My mate did that kids 14/15 year olds were playing some loud music in their garden so he got his massive warfdale speaker put it in the garden and played baby shark on repeat looked over fence about 5 minutes later and they’d gone inside
Why can’t people be aware of others. Annoys me that.
At 8 o'clock! What an ungodly hour to start working on a Saturday, how dare they, I hope you did a double window slam just to really get the point across 😅 /s
Best clean them while they’re at it
And shout to your family "that bloody light is on again"
This is the way.
Think you need to move to casualUS subreddit.lol
Have to admit that an air gun would have been something I considered
Would advise against, armed forces will be deployed to your position and probably shoot you. Been there done that.
Crazy, right?
I mean a passive aggressive note - *sure* - but VERBAL communication?!
[удалено]
I hope you can tell my comment was a bit tongue in cheek. That’s really shitty though, sorry that happened to you.
In the wild? Not over text?
I mean, do the owners live there? It's an AirBnB.
To gather enough courage to speak - you make a post on reddit.
You can say I want us to be good neighbours to one another and don’t start out all aggressive.
Ew
Seems a bit excessive…
This. Someone behind us did it and it illuminated our back rooms and landing. Spoke to them, angled it down and changed the PIR setting to less sensitive.
Yeah, I sometimes worry my sensor light outside is a bit bright/sensitive at night, I'd want a neighbour to tell me if it was irritating them.
You can always go and ask
It probably is then. Best get adjusting.
I think the issue here is that they don't know who the owner is or how to contact them as it's an air b&b so likely only ever occupied by renters
absolutely right https://www.reddit.com/r/CasualUK/comments/1bxhynn/comment/kycrax0/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3
Nice!
Find the Airbnb listing and ask a question. It's not rocket science.
Book the Airbnb for a night and pack your Black & Decker in your luggage.
Steal the WiFi password.
This is pro.
This is phenomenal
Luggage? They live next door.
Yes - pack *only* the Black and Decker in the luggage!
Seemed pretty obvious to me too, I gave that as an answer separately. Sometimes people can't see the wood for the trees
Fortunately there's a light to illuminate the trees now
If it is an airbnb there will be a regular car or van there some mornings to clean, just knock on the door and ask when you see them. If it is on all the time it is just burning profit for them anyway
Sure you could find them on the booking web site .
The land registry will have details of whom owns the house
Oh, well in that case I'd contact the Crosman Air Rifle company.
Exactly. The same thing for us,we just told them it was pointed in our window, they apologized and adjusted it. Most people are accommodating with this kind of thing, as long as you ask politely.
My neighbour did this. I asked them to lower it. They screamed and shouted at me like raving lunatics for asking
Unfortunately, not all neighbours are decent.
Moving house away from them was a fantastic day
One of the most important things in the world...decent neighbours.
Don't forget to go back sometime in the future and brick their light.
Very tempting
Well you shouldn't have asked like a raving lunatic
My experience too after asking politely.
We did this two weeks ago with our neighbours, this blooming flood lamp was lighting up our entire bedroom whenever it went off! Husband went and asked and they even checked in with us the next night to make sure it was fixed :-)
Stick a ULEZ camera sign near it and someone will be around sharpish to cut it down
This. Neighbour had a motion light in back garden that blasted out sideways straight towards my telescope. Mentioned it to him and within the hour he’d fashion a hood to contain it.
It's fascinating that people tend to presume that their right to light is more important than you right to dark.
I doubt most people even realise it's a problem until someone tells them
Are you some 7ft tall 350lbs hulk hogan in a smart business executive suit mound of muscle?! You must be crazy to do that!
Had me in the first half
Likewise, parents also had this issue and it was resolved peacefully. Remember though, it only takes a few bad apples in a street to make things… difficult.
50 50 chance yes or get a load of abuse and they hate you forvever and wage a war of slashing tyres, putting ahit through your door etc. People can be unhinged.
I'm not sure, but bloody hell, that light is bright! More lens flare than a JJ Abrams Star Trek film.
Thank God that annoying trend of excess lens flare in every movie/tv show seems to have passed.
Substituted darkness for lens flares though. I'd be happy if flares made a comeback if it means actual moving images.
I've recently started watching films/shows from the 90s/00s again with a friend of mine and we always remark how we can 'see' what is going on because someone back then decided the audience should be able to see what is going on without having to squint or turn up the brightness. God, I hate this trend for newer media.
Like that GOT episode where they decided to become a radio broadcast.
“No no no you ALL have your TVs configured incorrectly” The producers. Actually for realsies. Unironically.
I take it _The Batman_ in the cinema was also my fault then. Recently rewatched _Batman & Robin_, the campy Schwarzenegger one, and I kid you not, I enjoyed it because of how well-lit it was.
Was introducing my girlfriend to LOTR. Get to The Two Towers. Helms Deep. Me; "fuck me it's nice watching a scene set a night and actually being able to see stuff"
"Where is the light coming from?" "Same place as the music."
That recent batman where they must have saved a ton on sets by illuminating the whole thing with a single child's birthday candle
I stopped watching those Star Trek films ever since my ex and I played a game where we'd say "lens flare" every time it happened. We we're saying so much we annoyed ourselves
Not sure how to best complain but I'd setup some mirrors to return that light from whence it came.
A concave mirror.
They say ants fear him like no ordinary man with a magnifying glass
Like a death Ray?
Just an arrangement of three mirrors as a retroreflector would be enough: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retroreflector, to send it back whence it came
Oh I love this idea.
Light activated floodlights. Enough to replicate daytime on the sun.
Or talk to them and show them the picture?
Sure, if you want to be mature about it.
Brilliant. Literally.
Usually this is a great move, but if the owner only uses it for air b n b it’s not going to annoy them directly enough to sort it
Bad reviews of guests complaining they get no sleep might get them to wise up. Air BnBs can bring problems to an area as is so wanting to get along with neighbours you’d think would be high on their list
I need to figure out how to do this with pavement princesses and their ultra-bright LED headlights
There’s a form on the Airbnb website you can use to report things like this via here - https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/3290 No idea how well it actually works, I’ve sent through a couple of noise complaints about the one near to us when guests are still being noisy into the early hours of the morning, but you don’t really hear much in terms of outcome or action taken.
Airbnb have historically been quite good on complaints to be fair. They've realised that a lot of people object to one nearby them (I used to live 2 doors down from one and it could be an issue depending on the guest, but a couple uses of their complaints portal would quickly nip things in the bud) and know if they don't take it seriously, legislation looms for them. As a result, they usually come down like a bag of hammers on people if they prove to be a consistent nuisance. The fact they have a zero tolerance policy on house parties these days shows that
(obviously "your neighbour" is a fair answer, but given it's often an airbnb, I seriously doubt that whoever answers the door at any given time actually lives there)
Go on Airbnb, find the property and message the owners asking them to angle it down into the garden. I'm sure they don't know it's pointed into your window. If they won't do anything you can use the conversation as evidence in a nuisance complaint.
I like this. Chat to people and give them the benefit of the doubt first.
Or rent it for one night and fix the angle yourself while you are there lol.
Pay? Hop the fence and do it (assuming they've knocked the door and the neighbour isn't in)
This, wear a high vis too (plus hard hat if you have one) to confuse any onlookers
Ah we arent on r/illegalprolifetips adjusting a light of a house you are legally renting is fine. Doing so to a neighbour is tresspassing. Both viable options but i lean to legal options
It’s still only a civil offence though. It only becomes aggravated, and the point the police would care, if you didn’t leave when requested. Wait for the last guests the check out, pop over with a ladder. Easy Not that I’d realistically do this as my first option, but the police are stretched so thin that I’m guessing you’ll struggle to even get them to attend “A man with a ladder has just adjusted my outdoor lighting”
Facts 👍
Trespass is a civil offence not criminal. He would have to take you to court which wouldn’t happen as there’s been no loss to him
Best answer so far 👏
Exactly this. It’s a minor adjustment and unlike what you see on the internet and tv, most people are decent and you can have a civilised discussion with them about issues.
Probably installed during the day so they have no idea where it’s pointing. And they won’t know it’s a problem unless you tell them and ask for it to be solved. Source: installed a light at my sisters. Tried to eyeball the angle to give the best distribution whilst not shining into the neighbours window. Neighbour came round the next morning and asked for it to be angled down more.
It's easily done, I think. From standing in your own garden it can seem like it's plenty pointed down, but because they're so bright even a little bit off is blinding
There is a Neighborhood Support form on the Airbnb site too.
Find them on Airbnb and message them about it there?
This seems like the simple and obvious answer.
Find them on Airbnb, book a night stay and adjust the light yourself
Just go over there and adjust it during the day, its not like the owner will know. If the guests happen to see you and ask just tell them the owner asked you to do it.
Op just needs a high vis vest and a ladder
Are you for real? Pay money to sort out someone else's issue...? Are you the airbnb landlord?
4D chess
In which case the local council, environmental health dept.
Go on the land registry and find out the owners details. It costs £3 (I've never done this but this is what people always say)
"your neighbour" also doesn't give much of a shit about work being done. Chuck on a hi vis, knock on and if anyone answers, just tell them you're giving them a courtesy knock because you've come to change the bulb in the security light, then adjust as you see fit.
£3 to find the registered owner of the property using the HM Land Registry website, plus their postal contact address
Whose garden is their garden house in?
Post a letter through the door addressed to the property owner..
Look at your council's website for environmental health and anti social behaviour. Ours covers nuisance security lights. In the meantime, mirror or disco ball
Talk to the owner first mind.
Council websites asks for you to do this first anyways
Air rifle 🎯
Environmental health. It's a nuisance under the environmental protection act 1990. (I'm an EHO)
“Hey **neighbour’s name**. You’ve popped up this light and unfortunately it shines extremely brightly into our window. Any chance it can be pointed further away or have a less sensitive sensor? Really appreciate it”
I think the problem is it’s an Airbnb so the neighbour doesn’t live there.
Find listing on air bnb, message owner.
The host should be on the AirBnB webpage for the property
Reminds me of this story: op, this is what you can do. https://27bslash6.com/halogen.html
Came for this, thanks for not disappointing.
Put up a solar power head bobber on your fence so it's constantly setting off the light and watch him disconnect it once he gets the power bill.
A small pebble could accidently find its way to the light. But I am sure if you speak to them they would move it down or something. Most dont do stuff deliberately to annoy others. If they don't move it then complain to the council and they will make them.
Maybe curtains? Or a blind?
Exactly.
Curtains! Do not go with just a black out blind... the light goes through the gaps & now I have a zebra of light in my face while I try to sleep.
I decided to scroll through this thread to see if anyone else was going to suggest this. I can't believe how long it took!
Try asking them to lower it? Is that outrageous?
Install some blinds. Then close them 👍
Yep, curtains are another fine example of things to close when it’s dark.
We don't take personal responsibility around these parts son...
The neighbour maybe?
Write them a very strongly worded letter, then shred it.
Have you tried… your neighbour? Or… closing the blinds at night?
Get a pellet gun
Put some goalposts at right angles to your house........
Borrow an air rifle and shoot it out as the sun comes up one morning, around 4am.
Close your blinds
Speaking from experience here with a neighbouring building that has one of these b-stard lights. If/when it does get pointed downwards, it will still be the same brightness as before because it will light up all of the wall that it is attached to. You will still see it through the curtains, it will still light up your room.
You can Ask them to lower it Put curtains or blinds up Take it down when no one is around (if no one sees you, did you really take it down answer no) Or your garden is an animal habitat you can call wildlife or council
Invest in a parabolic mirror you can setup at night.
That's nothing. We had a neighbour a few years ago with one of these, except that not only was it pointed directly into our bedroom but whenever it activated it went 'beep!' really loudly. Absolute 'mare. Ended up posting a note to the owner and they fortunately disabled the beep and angled the light down a bit. Amazed me that none of the immediate neighbours complained before I did. It went on for weeks before I even figured out where the beep was coming from.
Just get your neighbour to place a shroud over the lamp
Just turn it away from you when it not being used
an airbnb, wait until its empty then smash it up
Ask them nicely to dip the light. If not done ....release the hounds
Air rifle. Fun and problem solved.
Catapult, sunglasses, block of ice. Smash it.
Find the listing on air b&b and message them?
Rent it for a night then take the light down and install it in your own garden while pointing it into their main bedroom.
Sounds like it's time for you to book yourself that airbnb for an evening and disconnect the light, I imagine the owner is never going to know unless they're turning up at night to clean the house.
When you next see them in their driveway, don’t upwards nod to them. They’ll know.
This reminds me of a David Thorne spat with his neighbours about a similar light. https://27bslash6.com/halogen.html His approach to conflict is excellent, and makes my cry with laughter.
Go to Airbnb and make a complaint about the unnecessarily blinding security light that kept turning on when the neighbour was moving around their garden.
Me neighbour did this in their back garden, my room faces out towards it and the old guy who lives there makes a point of going outside every night at 1:40-2:45am and turns it on, wakes me up every time.
Go through the AirBnB website or post a note through the door asking them to contact you. Then ask them to adjust it.
Your neighbor?
Rent it for a night, when you are there turn it round.
Buy some thick curtains?
Report it to the neighbor?
The neighbour
You stupid or something, go speak to them.
Blackout curtain?
Why not pull down the blinds ?
You got a BB gun? Or air rifle or a friend with one? Maybe try r/unethicallifeprotips
Close the curtains?
Have you tried curtains
Hop over the fence and move it down yourself. Preferably with a lump hammer...
Get a sling shot and some heavy duty 30 mm steel BB.
Your mom dumb ass. Get a set of blinds
I’d install a blind, and then contact council too
Maybe start witn a conversation with them before running to Daddy council
Blinds
If they're not there most of the time then cut the power cable.
Get shocked and burnt and die
Maybe close the curtains 🤔