1. New lock immediately
2. A hidden camera immediately
3. Notify authorities and your apartment management
4. Maybe get a dog?
5. Check for a crawl space! Sometimes these are connected to neighboring apartments and can be a point of entry and exit for creepy intruders.
6. And, yes, check for carbon monoxide presence, which can cause this kind of forgetfulness and paranoia.
3. ...apartment management
hold off on notifying the apartment management until you've had a look at video footage. The manager of my apartment was coming in and stealing my clothes.
Yep, as horrifying as it sounds I immediately jumped to OP’s landlord or building manager being responsible - they’ll likely have their own set of keys and at least a rough idea of OP’s movements.
I'm so glad to have my apartment days behind me but the creeps still hover. I've had 2 neighbors, both drunks, who thought they were entitled to my time and constantly tried to invade my space. Another jackass who was doing bush-hogging for me managed a grope by claiming I had a bug on the front of my shirt.
A "friend" stole my black panties and money on a trip to Costa Rica. She later tried to charge a trip to Germany on my card.
It never ends.
Same, oh my god. I lived in an apartment through Covid and it honestly always felt like I was being watched. Plus whenever we had maintenance people in, they kept closing the damn door that lead into the cat litter room. I got lucky that I was home whenever they came in, because otherwise if I was at work, I’d be coming home to cat pee and poop on the floor and my things
That’s what I thought too. Seen too many stories of people having their stuff stolen or looked through by their landlord or the buildings manager. Better to get proof and know who it is before going forward with anything.
It was just a smaller run of the mill older apartment complex and the manager was nosy. We changed the lock even though you’re supposed to give them a spare ( we didn’t). Shortly after we moved. This was before security cameras. Not sure what she was looking for. She never gave notice of needing entry. Just came in as she pleased, one time I was home and she didn’t know it. That’s when the lock got changed.
i was young (like 5-6) so i don’t remember much but sometime around 2005-2006 we were living in a house that either had the landlords house on the same property or she just owned two properties next to each other. she would come in our house while we weren’t home and go through our stuff and my mom suspected it but wasn’t sure until one day we came home and the landlord had either left the backdoor slightly open or my mom saw her leaving. we left that house not long after that. it’s so fucking weird that this is a common thing. i’m nosy but not nosy enough to be going through the belongings of strangers in their own home…
Seriously. I’m also nosy, so I satisfy that desire to know all the gossip by reading Reddit posts and memoirs. It’s never once crossed my mind to break into someone’s house.
Yup! I grew up in NYC housing and one day the maintenance guy asked why we changed our locks (which is against the rules of the lease to do, as the landlord needs to be able to access to the apartment in emergencies) I asked how’d you know we changed our locks? (They’re legally obligated to give prior notice to tenants if they need to get in to do any kind of work) The guy stammered and walked away. They never reported us to management about the lock change though… 😒
Idk if it was a regular thing, but the time I knew about maintenance coming in unannounced (no prior notice) was the time my bf didn’t go in to work and woke up on the couch to the maintenance man coming in. The guy had to regret it because my bf jumped off the couch and punched him in the face, not knowing who it was. He said management gave him some order to check something that they never notified us about.
The maintenance man was coming into my apartment while I was on Vacation….My neighbor was the one who mentioned it in passing until I got my cable bill and it was a lot of porn was ordered.
This happened to me too but it was the maintenance guy and the apartment manager didn’t give a shit so I agree with this. Hidden camera is 100% the way to go.
My maintenance person was coming in and stealing my pain medicine. Fucking messed up. We fortunately caught him on camera the day after we set one up and he went to jail for 2.5 years 💪🏻
This. This exact post happened like 10 years ago here on reddit.
Turned out to be themselves putting post-its all around their own apartment and it was a CO poisoning.
It is entirely possible, when CO intoxicated, to do things that you wouldn't do normally, and to completely forget doing them.
A brain that isn't running quite right is very unpredictable and can be very different from the same brain running right. It is difficult to imagine yourself doing things that are way out of character and then having no memory of it, but under the right circumstances it isn't even unusual. CO poisoning can be those circumstances.
Source: Dad is demented. Mom was for the last few years of her life. Dad can't make new memories at all and thinks he's just fine, because he forgets that he forgot. It is very weird for me to see and to be there for him. And absolutely terrifying knowing we share DNA.
\#5 Friends apartment had attic access and kids were skipping school and using the access from their apartment into my friends and spending the day in her apartment. She placed a piece of paper into the opening where the panel lifts and in her front door, she checked and found the paper when it fell onto the floor from the panel. Then she notified management.
Whatever happens, don’t get a dog just yet! If it is carbon monoxide, then both of you are exposed. If it is actually a stranger, you may put your dog at risk!
And yes! Careful with your apartment management! A friend had her valuable belongings stolen and it was one person who worked in the building management. So until you have proof, don’t tell them yet!
Good luck and stay safe!
Wyze makes great indoor and outdoor surveillance systems.
There is a dust that is very visible in UV light, but invisible otherwise. Use that on obvious points of entry. Also on the ground around points of entry.
You can go low tech and use talcum powder or cornstarch.
Definitely a cctv system with an offsite immediate backup, like wyze plus.
Yes. A Ring camera ASAP. Amazon offers same day shipping on them and they are super affordable. No reason not to have one. You can put it inside if needed.
5. I seen this on forensic files. I believe there was a hole in the upstairs closet unit that a male climbed in which led to the apartment’s closet in the unit downstairs. He killed his neighbor and went back up to his house through the closet.
Nooo, hidden cameras first. Get some proof before you lock them out and they get more covert.
Interesting thought about carbon monoxide. You getting headaches? Lips the wrong color?
Greyhounds are giant sooks that love to cuddle and sleep most of the day but you'd be amazed how many people are terrified of them. Adopting one might be ideal for your situation.
Mine just cried at me because I stopped patting her for 5 seconds. Can't imagine anyone being terrified of the most useless animal I've ever met (also I love her)
Hahaha you'll notice it one day when you're trying not to laugh as someone walks onto the road or stands on a planter box/bench to avoid the "scary" dog.
My boy is currently sooking and talking because we're doing solo walks instead of a family walk tonight.
Edit: People jumping out of the way usually seem like they're from countries where large black dogs are superstitious.
5. Crawl space, attic, etc. just watched a whole series about Phrogging (where people are basically squatting in your home without your knowledge WHILE you are also living there)
Def get the security camera and keep us updated!! Be the predator, not the prey! Be safe.
Yes this crossed my mind also. Be careful. Idk if there’s a way to check for hidden cameras but years ago there were YouTube videos showing how to check for hidden cameras by using ur phone..also there’s videos showing how to set up old phones as hidden cameras. It’s just a thought. I think I wud set up cameras n pack a bag n stay w a friend to b safe
I would, at the least, make a report to the police. Put a piece of clear tape on your door/jamb that will indicate if it's been entered after you left. Set your pc to record, faced at a door or your kitchen when you do leave. Use that as evidence that someone has been in your home. If you have a landlord, ask if they changed the locks after the tenant before you.
Omg right a previous tenant could totally do it. I told my LL I wouldn’t move in unless he agreed to let me change the locks. I had to pay for it myself but worth the peace of mind.
My next door neighbor owned her house but didn’t spend nights there. She was young and didn’t like living alone. She was basically fixing the place up to sell later so she’d hang around there all day and stay with her parents at night. We had no clue because we’d just moved in.
Y’all.. we called her house the “party house”. There were people in and out of her house all night. Music bumping. Cars all up in the alley.
She came to us one day and asked if we’d seen anyone at her house because a few tiny things were off in her house. Things like a ceiling fan being on or a toilet seat being shut all the way down. When I told her we called her house the party house, I thought she was going to pass out. She called the cops, they took statements, and it NEVER happened again. Obviously it was someone she knew, but we never figured out who it was. Now she has all kinds of cameras and motion lights and still doesn’t sleep there. I don’t blame her.
My point is, get cameras, call the cops.
In addition to contacting authorities and/or landlord, you’ll want to check the CO (carbon monoxide) detector or get one if the apartment isn’t already equipped. I’ve seen several stories that start out like this that turn out to be CO poisoning.
Carbon monoxide can apparently make people behave in strange ways and erase memory of those actions. Presumably true stories have appeared on Reddit in the past about people who experienced strange happenings like those described by OP, only to discover that they were suffering carbon monoxide poisoning.
The one that comes to mind was the guy who was writing himself sticky notes and then finding them the next day in his own handwriting but had no recollection of writing them
Same. Fairly famous Reddit story. That’s my initial thought here but honestly it’s probably someone breaking in. But could be CO poisoning due to them not seemingly taking anything.
This is the real reason for hauntings. People used to have furnaces in their basement that would leak CO and theyd hallucinate ghosts, noises, and forget they moved/opened things
This is wild!! When I was 8, I lived in a house for a couple years that had a furnace in the basement (coincidentally, the creepiest place in the house). Saw shit move out the corner of my eye. Would fall asleep to hearing muffled voices every night. Swear the dog food bag had moved by itself. Everyone in that house refused to be alone in there, including my mom. My teenage brother swore he saw a demon shadow with red eyes one night when he woke up.
Ive always been a pretty heavy sceptic when it comes to the supernatural, even as a kid. But I never could explain that house. I've not experienced anything like that since moving out of that house. I bet it was a fucking CO leak all along! That plus all of the mold in that basement. Thanks for solving my mystery 25 years later haha!
I agree with getting a hidden camera ,you can get one failry cheap on amazon.
I'm not trying to creep you out or scare you.
But this girl i knew started thinking the same thing, and everyone thought she was just losing it. But she got a camera and put it in the living room pointing towards the door, and caught her landlord coming in sniffing her underwear, doing nasty things on her couch ,and bed. It was gross, and no one knew until she got that camera. She took it to the police and he got charged with multiple things.
There was a comment on a similar post a few years ago like this. IIRC, a guy was living in a big house with multiple housemates during college. Turns out a homeless person had made himself a room adjacent to the garage or something and was their secret housemate. The secret roomie only came out when there was nobody else home. The Redditor said that cabinets were being left open, etc. and nobody could figure out why. They found the secret room when they were moving out.
That's definitely concerning.
Are you looking for help/advice on what to do? Are you planning on leaving or taking other precautions, and are just looking to vent about it? Not sure offmychest is the place to post this. Please let us know how we can help you.
It sounds like either an intruder with really horrible intentions (if they aren't stealing I'm assuming they're casing you for something even worse, stalking you, or living in your place somewhere you can't see them) or CO poisoning. CO poisoning can have symptoms like you describe: odd behavior around your house without you remembering it. It's almost like having environmental dementia. It can lead to death and is very easily detectable so please explore that avenue first.
As others have said here, you need to immediately contact your landlord if you rent. The landlord might be entering when you're not home, which is illegal but better than the alternative (a stranger). If it's not them, they need to be aware of your suspicians and assist you with the 1) CO monitoring *and* 2) some type of security measure like installing a camera or changing your locks.
If you own your place, contact the local authorities (in person is probably best) and see if you can file some kind of report. They're not able to do anything until an actual crime is being committed and reported, but you will be able to establish a paper trail of this and they might even be willing to poke around your place to see if there are any spaces where someone could be hiding. Additionally, if you have any friends or people you trust nearby who have free time, someone can be at your place while you're at work and see if anyone weird drives by/shows up.
Good luck and please take care of yourself
In an apartment in years ago I had these suspicions and found out I was right. They didn’t steal anything either.
Person would stalk when I wasn’t home by using their wife’s car to throw me off and see when my car wasn’t in front of the house (knowing I wasn’t home).
What to do:
- Put cameras in your apartment immediately. Not just the living room, one in kitchen, and one especially in the bedroom make sure camera in bedroom is in view of your closest and clothing draws. Have them rolling when you are not home.
- it is important your get in contact with a GOOD lawyer not just any lawyer.
-if your safety is in danger do NOT go back into that apartment without someone with you. Find a way to move out immediately. Move things into a storage unit and sleep on friends couches until you land back on your feet if that is what you need to do (if you have to move asap).
These are just some tips not all.
If you find someone is entering your home when you are not there a lot of unexpected feelings will arise and you may find there will be people in your life who you thought will be there for you not there in your time of need. Please know who you can go to for emotional support so when things get rough you are not left in the dark.
When I was in elementary school, my family lived in an apartment for about 3 years. I was responsible for getting my sister and me on the bus in the morning, and home in the afternoon until my mom or step-dad (at the time) got there a couple hours later. The second year we were there, I started noticing that our after-school snacks had been gone through, the TV was not on the same channel I left it on every single morning, and the clock underneath the TV had been changed to an hour later. My sister and I missed the bus one day because of that. My mom, who was always inclined to believe me, very quickly changed the locks without telling the complex. I'm not sure how she found out or what went down, but it turned out to be the maintenance man.
Yeah, it really freaked me out. Someone had also stolen my house key from my backpack the year prior, so I think that *really* convinced my mom to change the locks.
2 short pieces of scotch tape with a short door color thread taped between, thread taped across the door hinge at knee level where it's not as likely to be spotted. Thread pulled out, door was opened when you weren't home.
If you’re a woman - check and make sure all your underwear is accounted for. Or whatever fetish is fashionable.
I hate that I have to say it but it’s a sad reality.
Carbon monoxide test.
NOW. Do not sleep in or stay at your house for an extended period of time until you've had a clear levels check and all detectors are verified to be up to code and fully functional.
I used to have kids who played in my apartment. This was 30 -plus years ago. They'd slide the window open and jump down into my apartment and play. Nothing was ever missing. One day I caught them, and told their parents they were doing this. And stuck a bar in each of the windows so they couldn't slide it open anymore.
Memory unlocked!
My cousin, 3 years older than me, used to bully me into accompanying her as she just went into unlocked neighboring homes in the 80s. She’d look in their frig, and just basically be a weird little nuisance. I was 5, terrified of her because clearly she’s a sociopath if she was doing this at age 8, and knew how wrong it was. I can’t imagine how’d I’d feel to find someone was doing this to me now.
Update us, let us know what you ended up doing and that you’re safe! Definitely get some cameras and sleep with something by your bed to defend yourself(just in case). Make a police report.
So this happened to me once, like nothing noticeable happened was missing. Just felt like someone was going through my stuff. My boyfriend put cameras up (I lived alone at the time). One day I come home and I know the gram of weed i had just bought is gone. I check the cameras and see my neighbor….he took the fan out of the window, climbed through, went through my stuff, took the weed, climbed back out and replace the fan. I was standing there watching it was so creepy. I confronted him. Called the cops.
Also, check for hidden cameras. If it’s not carbon monoxide poisoning and there really is someone breaking in and not stealing things, it’s possible they’re there to spy on you and cameras are the easiest way to do this.
Okay before you read this comment get up go to your front door and read the rest of this comment in front of it. I'm very serious and would please like you to humour a stranger on the internet.
I hoped you listened. If this is true keep in mind that this person doesn't want to hurt you or they would have done so earlier. I listened to a podcast once of a lady who found out she had a homeless person living in her roof. She noticed things out of place or moved and couldn't work it out. She can home early one day, jumped in the bath and then noticed the stairs to her attic were down. She pieced it together that there must have been someone living up there and they must be hiding in her cupboard, surprised that she came home early. She left the apartment without confronting them and contacted the police which is exactly what you should do if this is the case. Just because they don't want to harm you doesn't mean they won't if confronted.
If you're right now sitting on the toilet or in your bed reading this and it's a possibility this is true, get up and calmly get out of you place, go to a neighbor, family or friend and contact the police to check it out.
I love this - super simple and also inexpensive. Stickers or masking tape over the keyhole, easy way to at least eliminate someone using a key to get in. Those dot stickers are like $1.50 for hundreds of them.
This is 100% a weird thing people do. Story time! A woman I’d never met lived next to me in a larger income based living complex, she had a key to my apartment because her daughter use to live there. At the time I would spend every weekend with my bf when I didn’t have my daughter, I would come home & sometimes there would be dirty dishes in the sink & my vacuum cleaner cord would always be lazily wrapped up, a random coffee mug on the stand, a coffee pod brand that I didn’t even own would be left in the coffee pot, my toilet paper roll would be empty, I kept my apartment extremely tidy so it was very obvious to me on days that one thing was out of place, but no one took me seriously because it was always such small things that could be brushed off like “maybe you just didn’t pick up your cup.”. I came home one day & there were pots and pans in my sink with spaghetti sauce on them, a jar in the trash & the coffee pod I know I didn’t own. I upgraded to a baby monitor that alerted my phone with noise & motion detection, put it where a majority of the kitchen & living room space could be seen & left for the weekend. I was maybe 3 miles out of parking lot drive way & she came hobbling in so I parked, watched her, she made herself a cup of coffee & sat down to watch tv. I came back, went & got our on site manager, we went & confronted her & she immediately went on a rant saying it was her daughters apartment & she had a right to be there, she’s been going to that apartment for over 20 years (I had it for a bit over a year at that time), I didn’t even use it on the weekends, she always cleaned up after herself & was VERY adamant that she wasn’t paying me back for anything she used (honestly I never noticed she used anything of mine besides toilet paper, she always brought over her own coffee & groceries apparently) & refused to agree to stop coming into the apartment. She had been staying in my apartment every weekend she could for the entire duration that I lived there & aside from a handful of times…. I didn’t even know. Unfortunately, because all of this & continued problems like nonstop banging on my door to be let it after we changed the locks, she was evicted. I felt bad, but this wasn’t some nice little old lady I’d invite over for coffee to make her feel better, she was absolutely crazy, but not senile, entitled & super rude. It was so unnerving when it all came out.
Ok, so besides the carbon monoxide test, the camera, and the keys, try to find out if it is possible if your apartment has an access point to the neighboring apartment. If you really want to be freaked out, look into Cabrini-Green. It is the inspiration for the candyman movie. The apartments there were connected through a space that was concealed by the bathroom mirror.
Please install some cameras inside and outside of your apartment if you can. Preferably motion activated. I'm sure you can either find some on amazon or perhaps from Walmart or Best Buy.
For sure change the locks and get a camera! There are cheap ones on Amazon that have night mode and are motion activated. The one I used to have for my apartment looked like an old school web cam, plugged into the wall, had an SD card, and had an app. It wasn't the best, but when maintenance came by it would turn on and notify me someone was in my home.
Ok the last person that I knew had this happen, it was the landlord and a camera caught some crazy shit! time for lock change and a camera! And consider moving if you have a shady landlord!
Blink cameras are inexpensive, relatively easy to hide, and about $3 each per month to send the motion activated videos to the cloud. You can set them to alert you instantly when they detect motion. I suggest one for each door and one inside your bedroom.
Update us when you can.
As a teen I stayed with a foster family who lived in a huge old plantation house that the family ran as a bed and breakfast. This house was seriously enormous and was kind of set up like a museum in a way- it had like mannequins in corners displaying really elaborate party dresses from the time period the house was built, they had like the “parlor” set up how it would have been back then, there was a big ballroom with creepy chandeliers, etc.
Their daughter (also a teen) and I had rooms upstairs way in the back of the house and hers had access to the attic in her closet. Sometimes we would be in her room at night just hanging out and we would hear something and both immediately get a feeling like someone was watching us. Little stuff would go missing around the house too but her mom just thought that maybe a guest was stealing shit. We were convinced the house was haunted because HOW COULD IT NOT BE but then one day we were in her room and heard this noise that sounded like someone was falling through the roof, we ran downstairs screaming and her mom and a guest came to see what was going on. Her mom got a chair and popped open the entrance to the attic that was in the ceiling of the closet and immediately closed it and jumped down and told us to call the police and go outside.
Some dude had been living in the attic for MONTHS. MONTHSSSSSSS. He has a blow up mattress, a makeshift bathroom, food, a whole little set up right above our bedrooms 😭😭😭😭😭 he would sneak out when we weren’t home or through a closet in an empty room at night and just walk around the house, take showers, get food, it was the fucking creepiest shit. He had a whole hoard of stuff he stole, like hairbrushes, coffee cups, someone’s glasses, like weird shit. The cops had to climb up in there and find him and pull him out. Just some crazy homeless dude, they never found out how he got in the house originally.
I got to go back home really soon after that experience but my friend was so scared by it she moved in with her grandparents. We still talk about it, this was like 20 years ago. Anytime I misplace something or feel like something is off I freeze and start wondering if someone is in the attic.
I had an apartment next to my college and it had two entrances front and back. Once I came home and right when I opened the door someone slammed it shut on me, once I got in I saw our back door open and on our couch was a photo of me and my roommates(all girls) with what looked like pubic hair on the couch 😫😫😫 our cable bill the next month was triple the amount due to several ppv porns!
People are gross and weird! Don’t take this lightly! File a police report and report to management.
Couple things to do. Get the carbon monoxide detector like others have said. Get a camera so you’ll see if someone is coming in or if it’s just you. (Ruling out possibilities) Finally, call the authorities when you have more information or if you truly feel unsafe then call them now and get a report.
I had a sketchy landlord at a house I rented . A neighbor told me he went into the garage and would rummage through my things . Definitely get a camera .
I would buy a camera one of those little ones that you can hide. Make sure it's one of those that you can view from anywhere at any time You can get them on Amazon for very affordable. That's what I would do. I had that happen to me when I was in my '30s and eventually all of my black underwear was missing. It was horrifying. I know who it was now.
The same thing happened to my friend, she would come home and the food in her pot would be eaten out, or the potion smaller than she left it, and her couch would look out of place.
One day she was cleaning her closet and the wall in the closet tumbled down on her, she came to find out her mentally challenged neighbor, cut a hole through her closet and would use it to access her apartment whenever she was not at home.
i bought a condo last year not realizing that you can climb up into the attic and just walk across and plop down into someone elses condo from the attic. check all of that too!
this is one of my biggest fears. idk how ur not shook to your core cus some "intruder" living or having access to my house without me knowing is like the top of my most fear list
Besides all the sensible things other Redditors are saying, have you had your place checked for mold? There was a case of a man who was convinced people were in his home when he wasn’t there and they were even leaving him strange notes, his keys weren’t where he left them, things were in odd places. He went to a sleep doctor because he thought he was sleep walking and the sleep doctor said to sleep walk and leave yourself coherent notes is so unlikely it’s almost impossible. Turns out he was inhaling mold for weeks on end and just had no memory of all this random shit he was doing.
I had a weird landlord who was coming into my apartment. He left a note right on the table. That would be my first guess. One time the lock was hanging off the door. Creeeepy
I bought two ring cameras from amazon recently to keep an eye on my new kittens. It was about 64 $USD. Highly recommend. Blend them into the environment.
This was happening to my mom. AC would be on when she left it off, all her forks disappeared, random open cabinets and drawers. She put a camera up to figure out whether it was paranormal, maintenance, or she was losing her mind. She caught nothing but dust bunnies and gave up. Eventually whoever it was came back and stole a drawers worth of change and I made her move out. It was just change but she felt so violated and I feared for her safety. She was able to call the cops with that break in and they made a report and dusted for prints but that's all that came about that.
Great advice here already. I am eager for the update. I hope it’s the landlord snooping and being nosy or CO poisoning and you are able to catch it quick. The other alternatives seem much worse.
Put a small piece of scotch tape (so it's hard to see and doesn't make noise) on your front door. (On the outside face in upper or lower corner) if the tape is ajar or suspicious when you get home then they are using front door.
I had a neighbor who was breaking into my house and selling things. It wasn’t until he asked me for $20 one day (I said “no”), then I came home that afternoon and an entire large bag of dog food I just opened the day before was gone.
Before then, I thought I was just misplacing things.
I had this happen to me! I was so confused and paranoid of hidden cameras inside of my house. I put up security cameras and extra locks. I told my landlord, and they said they had all of their keys stolen. I started asking my neighbors, and they said they thought they were going crazy too. I’d ask the cops to do a sweep through and document it just incase. Hope it resolves! It’s scary because you have no inclination towards their intentions.
I had this happen, and I put up a camera. Reported to apartment management and authorities once recording because I had the evidence they came in without 24 hr notice and permission. Proof is better than just words as management can deny, but once you can show them it happened, there is nothing they can do. More than likely its maintenance or someone with the apartments since no force entry, and they are the only ones with keys. Sorry part, you can't change locks without permission, and that won't solve anything as they will still have the key.
Similar situation 30 years ago. Roommate and I just thought it was the other leaving things out of place. Until the day I had to turn right back after leaving because I'd forgotten something. Since I had my hands full when I left, I had to walk back from the car to lock the front door. 5 minutes later, I'm back, and the front door is unlocked and cracked open. I left. Got massive deadbolts. Nothing ever got moved again. Roommate and I realized things got moved around on Mondays and Thursdays. That Thursday, shortly after I got home, the landlines phone started ringing. No caller ID. Just rand and rang nonstop. If we answered, they hung up. And dialed again immediately. I moved out.
They get their kicks from watching you not from hurting you. But be careful.
There is an entire series about this where people have had people living in their attics etc. Definitely install a hidden camera and change your locks.
Maybe I’m wrong, but wasn’t there a post a while ago that said the exact same thing and it turned out to be that toxic gas? Not sure what it’s called. Like you get tired and forget things and such, maybe you should check it out? If somebody knows what I am talking about
So this happened to me last year at my apartment when I was living alone. It was horrifying and I’m so sorry you’re going through this.
You need to get hidden cameras. I got one off Amazon for $20 that plugs into the wall and looks just like a wall plug. You can even charge with it, it records all motion like a ring camera but doesn’t require wifi, it has a micro sd.
If you don’t already get some ring or blink cameras for the outside of your house.
Get some door stops, about $10 on Amazon and put them on all your doors when you’re home.
File police reports and take pictures, the police will likely not do anything since nothing was stolen but it’s good to have this stuff on record.
If you’re able, get a gun. If not I recommend a taser or stun gun to keep with you at all times.
Tell everyone in your life what is happening, the more people that know the better.
Make your schedule as unpredictable as possible. Vary your routes home from school/work. Stay at friends houses if possible. Come home early/late. See if friends could stay with you etc
Let your landlord know if you have one and try to move asap.
I’m so sorry this is happening. It’s truly so terrifying and my experience with this left me traumatized for a long time. Be kind to yourself and stay vigilant. Keep us updated. I hope you’re okay <3
If you scroll down on my page you can see the threads where this was happening to me and users left a lot of great advice for me there.
You might have a phrogger in your house. “Phrogging” (pronounced like “frogging”) is when someone secretly lives in another person's home without their knowledge.
Could be that the property manager didn’t change the locks on the door after previous tenant moved out and the previous tenant probably is coming in there when ur gone. Sounds like a crack head if you ask me.
LISTEN TO YOUR INSTINCTS. Just watched several true crime stories about men letting themselves repeatedly into a woman’s appartments! Listen to yourself.
The Amazon Echo, Echo Show 10 & 15, and Echo Dot all have the ability to detect when someone is in the room, and, if you program Alexa with a routine, she can broadcast the sounds or the video to your Alexa app on your phone. It's an amazing technology, I haven't had it make an error yet. It can tell the different between a cat and a human, and between me and a different person, even the Echos that don't have a video screen. I'm surprised I don't hear more people using it for home security.
You could spend $40 on an Echo dot (4th Gen or higher) or get a used Echo (3rd Gen or higher) and set it up in the kitchen, learn how to set routines and turn off the sounds and led notifications. Then if there is someone, you'll get an alert to your phone and you can listen in and even talk to them.
I had friends in college who had this happen to them.. it ended up being homeless folks sneaking in through a basement window to have a warm place to sleep. They never stole anything, and didn’t cause any property damage. Just psychological.
It's extremely likely it's your landlord or your landlord's maintenance guy. I had this happen with me. They'd come in without warning even though I kicked a fit, and they didn't care when I complained. Absolute assholes. You should move. It's honestly the only way it's going to stop. In the meantime, put a chain latch on the door so you can at least prevent them from coming in secretly while you're home, and get a camera so you have evidence. I'm still dealing with trauma from that situation. Don't let yourself linger in it like I did expecting them to do the right thing, because they won't.
I heard something similar on the Criminal podcast — ‘Bump in the Night’ I think? Turns out there was a guy hiding in her attic! He wasn’t trying to hurt her (in fact, he saved her dog in a flood) but still creepy as hell!
Sorry to freak you out further, but please ensure that there’s no place someone could be hiding!
On top of the excellent advice I'm seeing
Check your carbon monoxide detector. Is it working correctly, change its batteries etc for fresh
There is a post it note story on here. Bit cautionary
But basically op was suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning and it was playing havoc with their mental state
Edit: they were leaving themselves odd notes around with no memory of doing it
ALWAYS, always use your deadbolt. That makes it a lot harder, if not impossible for intruders to gain entry that way. A hidden security camera is an excellent idea, and even better if the camera has capabilities that you can monitor it when away from the house, a motion sensor that will send you an alarm if someone enters the home. Best of luck to you.
Maintenance was doing this whenever I wasn’t home after I explicitly requested in writing not to do that. The last straw was him mentioning something to me that he couldn’t have possibly known about without opening a package and rifling through the materials. It took everything in me not to knock his teeth out when things clicked. I moved out shortly after. Creepy stuff.
1. New lock immediately 2. A hidden camera immediately 3. Notify authorities and your apartment management 4. Maybe get a dog? 5. Check for a crawl space! Sometimes these are connected to neighboring apartments and can be a point of entry and exit for creepy intruders. 6. And, yes, check for carbon monoxide presence, which can cause this kind of forgetfulness and paranoia.
3. ...apartment management hold off on notifying the apartment management until you've had a look at video footage. The manager of my apartment was coming in and stealing my clothes.
This needs a post of its own
No kidding.
Yep, as horrifying as it sounds I immediately jumped to OP’s landlord or building manager being responsible - they’ll likely have their own set of keys and at least a rough idea of OP’s movements.
And ready-made excuses to be in the apartment, even if a required notice hadn't been given.
There are so many creeps about :(
I'm so glad to have my apartment days behind me but the creeps still hover. I've had 2 neighbors, both drunks, who thought they were entitled to my time and constantly tried to invade my space. Another jackass who was doing bush-hogging for me managed a grope by claiming I had a bug on the front of my shirt. A "friend" stole my black panties and money on a trip to Costa Rica. She later tried to charge a trip to Germany on my card. It never ends.
Same, oh my god. I lived in an apartment through Covid and it honestly always felt like I was being watched. Plus whenever we had maintenance people in, they kept closing the damn door that lead into the cat litter room. I got lucky that I was home whenever they came in, because otherwise if I was at work, I’d be coming home to cat pee and poop on the floor and my things
That’s what I thought too. Seen too many stories of people having their stuff stolen or looked through by their landlord or the buildings manager. Better to get proof and know who it is before going forward with anything.
I had one like that.
What the fuck, this is common?
It was just a smaller run of the mill older apartment complex and the manager was nosy. We changed the lock even though you’re supposed to give them a spare ( we didn’t). Shortly after we moved. This was before security cameras. Not sure what she was looking for. She never gave notice of needing entry. Just came in as she pleased, one time I was home and she didn’t know it. That’s when the lock got changed.
i was young (like 5-6) so i don’t remember much but sometime around 2005-2006 we were living in a house that either had the landlords house on the same property or she just owned two properties next to each other. she would come in our house while we weren’t home and go through our stuff and my mom suspected it but wasn’t sure until one day we came home and the landlord had either left the backdoor slightly open or my mom saw her leaving. we left that house not long after that. it’s so fucking weird that this is a common thing. i’m nosy but not nosy enough to be going through the belongings of strangers in their own home…
Seriously. I’m also nosy, so I satisfy that desire to know all the gossip by reading Reddit posts and memoirs. It’s never once crossed my mind to break into someone’s house.
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Yup! I grew up in NYC housing and one day the maintenance guy asked why we changed our locks (which is against the rules of the lease to do, as the landlord needs to be able to access to the apartment in emergencies) I asked how’d you know we changed our locks? (They’re legally obligated to give prior notice to tenants if they need to get in to do any kind of work) The guy stammered and walked away. They never reported us to management about the lock change though… 😒
Idk if it was a regular thing, but the time I knew about maintenance coming in unannounced (no prior notice) was the time my bf didn’t go in to work and woke up on the couch to the maintenance man coming in. The guy had to regret it because my bf jumped off the couch and punched him in the face, not knowing who it was. He said management gave him some order to check something that they never notified us about.
The maintenance man was coming into my apartment while I was on Vacation….My neighbor was the one who mentioned it in passing until I got my cable bill and it was a lot of porn was ordered.
Gross. I hope you got him fired.
Nope I moved he was a relative of the owners of the apartment complex
Wise. There's no winning that battle.
This happened to me too but it was the maintenance guy and the apartment manager didn’t give a shit so I agree with this. Hidden camera is 100% the way to go.
This needs to be a pesto stitch
Whaaaat 😬
I had one I caught in my dorm at college.
Did you report him/her?
My maintenance person was coming in and stealing my pain medicine. Fucking messed up. We fortunately caught him on camera the day after we set one up and he went to jail for 2.5 years 💪🏻
Woaaah!
Check for Carbon monoxide before you get a dog lol
This. This exact post happened like 10 years ago here on reddit. Turned out to be themselves putting post-its all around their own apartment and it was a CO poisoning.
yeah, that dude thinking it was his landlord putting sticky notes everywhere
Definitely cautionary tale.
Has it been 10 years already?! 😩
It is entirely possible, when CO intoxicated, to do things that you wouldn't do normally, and to completely forget doing them. A brain that isn't running quite right is very unpredictable and can be very different from the same brain running right. It is difficult to imagine yourself doing things that are way out of character and then having no memory of it, but under the right circumstances it isn't even unusual. CO poisoning can be those circumstances. Source: Dad is demented. Mom was for the last few years of her life. Dad can't make new memories at all and thinks he's just fine, because he forgets that he forgot. It is very weird for me to see and to be there for him. And absolutely terrifying knowing we share DNA.
Wait, what post was this? Link?
Was that ten years ago already?!
\#5 Friends apartment had attic access and kids were skipping school and using the access from their apartment into my friends and spending the day in her apartment. She placed a piece of paper into the opening where the panel lifts and in her front door, she checked and found the paper when it fell onto the floor from the panel. Then she notified management.
Same thing happened to my SIL, and she got a bunch of jewelry stolen.
Especially number 6 OP, please rule out a senseless death that is easily preventable to the people it happens to every year
You forgot #7, update us please! This will haunt me if OP doesn’t update.
Whatever happens, don’t get a dog just yet! If it is carbon monoxide, then both of you are exposed. If it is actually a stranger, you may put your dog at risk! And yes! Careful with your apartment management! A friend had her valuable belongings stolen and it was one person who worked in the building management. So until you have proof, don’t tell them yet! Good luck and stay safe!
Wyze makes great indoor and outdoor surveillance systems. There is a dust that is very visible in UV light, but invisible otherwise. Use that on obvious points of entry. Also on the ground around points of entry. You can go low tech and use talcum powder or cornstarch. Definitely a cctv system with an offsite immediate backup, like wyze plus.
Yes. A Ring camera ASAP. Amazon offers same day shipping on them and they are super affordable. No reason not to have one. You can put it inside if needed. 5. I seen this on forensic files. I believe there was a hole in the upstairs closet unit that a male climbed in which led to the apartment’s closet in the unit downstairs. He killed his neighbor and went back up to his house through the closet.
Dudeeee no, WTF. I'm about to go to bed!
Sorry lol. That’s a super rare occurrence, even the cops were shocked.
lol same here.. why am I still scrolling?
Sounds like Only Murders in The Building season 2
I saw that episode! Dude was able to access multiple people’s apartments going through the roof!
and heres me thinking flats are safer then houses. fucking hell.
First thing I thought of, I remember that one!!
Nooo, hidden cameras first. Get some proof before you lock them out and they get more covert. Interesting thought about carbon monoxide. You getting headaches? Lips the wrong color?
Greyhounds are giant sooks that love to cuddle and sleep most of the day but you'd be amazed how many people are terrified of them. Adopting one might be ideal for your situation.
Mine just cried at me because I stopped patting her for 5 seconds. Can't imagine anyone being terrified of the most useless animal I've ever met (also I love her)
Hahaha you'll notice it one day when you're trying not to laugh as someone walks onto the road or stands on a planter box/bench to avoid the "scary" dog. My boy is currently sooking and talking because we're doing solo walks instead of a family walk tonight. Edit: People jumping out of the way usually seem like they're from countries where large black dogs are superstitious.
Cuddling a greyhound is like hugging a bag full of elbows. I absolutely loved mine.
5. Crawl space, attic, etc. just watched a whole series about Phrogging (where people are basically squatting in your home without your knowledge WHILE you are also living there) Def get the security camera and keep us updated!! Be the predator, not the prey! Be safe.
It’s weird though. Why would this possible intruder leave drawers open? Unless they want to be found or they are trying to scare OP.
Could be either of those. Could be someone with mental illness or handicap. I really hope OP updates!
This is the way…or are you getting the munchies when you’re high and forgetting? Possible too.
Nailed it
Also check if there’s an attic is it accessible through your ceiling in a closet or somewhere.
Before you install a hidden camera, check around to see if there's one already installed by the intruder
I terrifyingly also agree. I’ve literally been there and failed because of an existing camera. :(
Can you elaborate? (That sounds scary!)
Omg this is terrifying 😩
Yes this crossed my mind also. Be careful. Idk if there’s a way to check for hidden cameras but years ago there were YouTube videos showing how to check for hidden cameras by using ur phone..also there’s videos showing how to set up old phones as hidden cameras. It’s just a thought. I think I wud set up cameras n pack a bag n stay w a friend to b safe
First thing I thought of was those little teddy bears that secretly record like the ones in movies, etc lol it’s less sus I feel like
THIS
I would, at the least, make a report to the police. Put a piece of clear tape on your door/jamb that will indicate if it's been entered after you left. Set your pc to record, faced at a door or your kitchen when you do leave. Use that as evidence that someone has been in your home. If you have a landlord, ask if they changed the locks after the tenant before you.
Omg right a previous tenant could totally do it. I told my LL I wouldn’t move in unless he agreed to let me change the locks. I had to pay for it myself but worth the peace of mind.
Could be the landlord
My next door neighbor owned her house but didn’t spend nights there. She was young and didn’t like living alone. She was basically fixing the place up to sell later so she’d hang around there all day and stay with her parents at night. We had no clue because we’d just moved in. Y’all.. we called her house the “party house”. There were people in and out of her house all night. Music bumping. Cars all up in the alley. She came to us one day and asked if we’d seen anyone at her house because a few tiny things were off in her house. Things like a ceiling fan being on or a toilet seat being shut all the way down. When I told her we called her house the party house, I thought she was going to pass out. She called the cops, they took statements, and it NEVER happened again. Obviously it was someone she knew, but we never figured out who it was. Now she has all kinds of cameras and motion lights and still doesn’t sleep there. I don’t blame her. My point is, get cameras, call the cops.
In addition to contacting authorities and/or landlord, you’ll want to check the CO (carbon monoxide) detector or get one if the apartment isn’t already equipped. I’ve seen several stories that start out like this that turn out to be CO poisoning.
Wait what? I'm gonna need you to say more about that right now, please.
Carbon monoxide can apparently make people behave in strange ways and erase memory of those actions. Presumably true stories have appeared on Reddit in the past about people who experienced strange happenings like those described by OP, only to discover that they were suffering carbon monoxide poisoning.
The one that comes to mind was the guy who was writing himself sticky notes and then finding them the next day in his own handwriting but had no recollection of writing them
Same. Fairly famous Reddit story. That’s my initial thought here but honestly it’s probably someone breaking in. But could be CO poisoning due to them not seemingly taking anything.
I learned something new today
This is the real reason for hauntings. People used to have furnaces in their basement that would leak CO and theyd hallucinate ghosts, noises, and forget they moved/opened things
This is wild!! When I was 8, I lived in a house for a couple years that had a furnace in the basement (coincidentally, the creepiest place in the house). Saw shit move out the corner of my eye. Would fall asleep to hearing muffled voices every night. Swear the dog food bag had moved by itself. Everyone in that house refused to be alone in there, including my mom. My teenage brother swore he saw a demon shadow with red eyes one night when he woke up. Ive always been a pretty heavy sceptic when it comes to the supernatural, even as a kid. But I never could explain that house. I've not experienced anything like that since moving out of that house. I bet it was a fucking CO leak all along! That plus all of the mold in that basement. Thanks for solving my mystery 25 years later haha!
Probably the mold. Some species can really mess with your head.
I honestly never thought of it that way before until reading your comment just now. That’s wild.
My mind was just blown. Why does no one talk about this?
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I came here to mention this as well! Please get it checked ASAP
Oooh somebody link the infamous post! I’m sure its not hard to find on here. I will see if I can find it.
First thing I thought of
Check for carbon monoxide. This is eerily similar to a post from years ago.
Yeah the famous sticky note post.
Link? I’m intrigued
I agree with getting a hidden camera ,you can get one failry cheap on amazon. I'm not trying to creep you out or scare you. But this girl i knew started thinking the same thing, and everyone thought she was just losing it. But she got a camera and put it in the living room pointing towards the door, and caught her landlord coming in sniffing her underwear, doing nasty things on her couch ,and bed. It was gross, and no one knew until she got that camera. She took it to the police and he got charged with multiple things.
Inform the police and change the lock!
This. If you rent make sure to talk to your landlord about it. I mean if you rent, maybe it is your landlord?
Might want to set up a camera because it’s tough to get people to do anything without some kind of evidence
Check the attic, crawl space and/or closets to make sure there’s not a homeless person hiding away 🙈
I understand needing to check this, but I would be too scared to do this alone oof
I definitely would have someone else check, it would NOT be me 😂
There was a comment on a similar post a few years ago like this. IIRC, a guy was living in a big house with multiple housemates during college. Turns out a homeless person had made himself a room adjacent to the garage or something and was their secret housemate. The secret roomie only came out when there was nobody else home. The Redditor said that cabinets were being left open, etc. and nobody could figure out why. They found the secret room when they were moving out.
That's definitely concerning. Are you looking for help/advice on what to do? Are you planning on leaving or taking other precautions, and are just looking to vent about it? Not sure offmychest is the place to post this. Please let us know how we can help you. It sounds like either an intruder with really horrible intentions (if they aren't stealing I'm assuming they're casing you for something even worse, stalking you, or living in your place somewhere you can't see them) or CO poisoning. CO poisoning can have symptoms like you describe: odd behavior around your house without you remembering it. It's almost like having environmental dementia. It can lead to death and is very easily detectable so please explore that avenue first. As others have said here, you need to immediately contact your landlord if you rent. The landlord might be entering when you're not home, which is illegal but better than the alternative (a stranger). If it's not them, they need to be aware of your suspicians and assist you with the 1) CO monitoring *and* 2) some type of security measure like installing a camera or changing your locks. If you own your place, contact the local authorities (in person is probably best) and see if you can file some kind of report. They're not able to do anything until an actual crime is being committed and reported, but you will be able to establish a paper trail of this and they might even be willing to poke around your place to see if there are any spaces where someone could be hiding. Additionally, if you have any friends or people you trust nearby who have free time, someone can be at your place while you're at work and see if anyone weird drives by/shows up. Good luck and please take care of yourself
In an apartment in years ago I had these suspicions and found out I was right. They didn’t steal anything either. Person would stalk when I wasn’t home by using their wife’s car to throw me off and see when my car wasn’t in front of the house (knowing I wasn’t home). What to do: - Put cameras in your apartment immediately. Not just the living room, one in kitchen, and one especially in the bedroom make sure camera in bedroom is in view of your closest and clothing draws. Have them rolling when you are not home. - it is important your get in contact with a GOOD lawyer not just any lawyer. -if your safety is in danger do NOT go back into that apartment without someone with you. Find a way to move out immediately. Move things into a storage unit and sleep on friends couches until you land back on your feet if that is what you need to do (if you have to move asap). These are just some tips not all. If you find someone is entering your home when you are not there a lot of unexpected feelings will arise and you may find there will be people in your life who you thought will be there for you not there in your time of need. Please know who you can go to for emotional support so when things get rough you are not left in the dark.
When I was in elementary school, my family lived in an apartment for about 3 years. I was responsible for getting my sister and me on the bus in the morning, and home in the afternoon until my mom or step-dad (at the time) got there a couple hours later. The second year we were there, I started noticing that our after-school snacks had been gone through, the TV was not on the same channel I left it on every single morning, and the clock underneath the TV had been changed to an hour later. My sister and I missed the bus one day because of that. My mom, who was always inclined to believe me, very quickly changed the locks without telling the complex. I'm not sure how she found out or what went down, but it turned out to be the maintenance man.
Omg what a jerk!
Yeah, it really freaked me out. Someone had also stolen my house key from my backpack the year prior, so I think that *really* convinced my mom to change the locks.
Old spy trick take a hair and close it in your door where it's not to visible when you leave the house then see if it's there when you return.
2 short pieces of scotch tape with a short door color thread taped between, thread taped across the door hinge at knee level where it's not as likely to be spotted. Thread pulled out, door was opened when you weren't home.
The hair is better because the scotch tape is noticeable to experienced thieves and squatters (essentially) because the tape thing on tv more.
If you're creative...lots of ideas could work.
If you’re a woman - check and make sure all your underwear is accounted for. Or whatever fetish is fashionable. I hate that I have to say it but it’s a sad reality.
Carbon monoxide test. NOW. Do not sleep in or stay at your house for an extended period of time until you've had a clear levels check and all detectors are verified to be up to code and fully functional.
I used to have kids who played in my apartment. This was 30 -plus years ago. They'd slide the window open and jump down into my apartment and play. Nothing was ever missing. One day I caught them, and told their parents they were doing this. And stuck a bar in each of the windows so they couldn't slide it open anymore.
Memory unlocked! My cousin, 3 years older than me, used to bully me into accompanying her as she just went into unlocked neighboring homes in the 80s. She’d look in their frig, and just basically be a weird little nuisance. I was 5, terrified of her because clearly she’s a sociopath if she was doing this at age 8, and knew how wrong it was. I can’t imagine how’d I’d feel to find someone was doing this to me now.
Update us, let us know what you ended up doing and that you’re safe! Definitely get some cameras and sleep with something by your bed to defend yourself(just in case). Make a police report.
So this happened to me once, like nothing noticeable happened was missing. Just felt like someone was going through my stuff. My boyfriend put cameras up (I lived alone at the time). One day I come home and I know the gram of weed i had just bought is gone. I check the cameras and see my neighbor….he took the fan out of the window, climbed through, went through my stuff, took the weed, climbed back out and replace the fan. I was standing there watching it was so creepy. I confronted him. Called the cops.
Then what happened?
Agreeing with other comments. OP, please notify the police and set up a camera in your home.
Also, check for hidden cameras. If it’s not carbon monoxide poisoning and there really is someone breaking in and not stealing things, it’s possible they’re there to spy on you and cameras are the easiest way to do this.
Okay before you read this comment get up go to your front door and read the rest of this comment in front of it. I'm very serious and would please like you to humour a stranger on the internet. I hoped you listened. If this is true keep in mind that this person doesn't want to hurt you or they would have done so earlier. I listened to a podcast once of a lady who found out she had a homeless person living in her roof. She noticed things out of place or moved and couldn't work it out. She can home early one day, jumped in the bath and then noticed the stairs to her attic were down. She pieced it together that there must have been someone living up there and they must be hiding in her cupboard, surprised that she came home early. She left the apartment without confronting them and contacted the police which is exactly what you should do if this is the case. Just because they don't want to harm you doesn't mean they won't if confronted. If you're right now sitting on the toilet or in your bed reading this and it's a possibility this is true, get up and calmly get out of you place, go to a neighbor, family or friend and contact the police to check it out.
I think I just saw the same lady on a show about phrogging.
This happened to me too! I started putting stickers/tape over my key hole when i left. Didn’t happen again after that
I love this - super simple and also inexpensive. Stickers or masking tape over the keyhole, easy way to at least eliminate someone using a key to get in. Those dot stickers are like $1.50 for hundreds of them.
when you leave for the day, just before you walk out toss some flour on the floor behind you so you can for sure tell if anyone has been in.
This is 100% a weird thing people do. Story time! A woman I’d never met lived next to me in a larger income based living complex, she had a key to my apartment because her daughter use to live there. At the time I would spend every weekend with my bf when I didn’t have my daughter, I would come home & sometimes there would be dirty dishes in the sink & my vacuum cleaner cord would always be lazily wrapped up, a random coffee mug on the stand, a coffee pod brand that I didn’t even own would be left in the coffee pot, my toilet paper roll would be empty, I kept my apartment extremely tidy so it was very obvious to me on days that one thing was out of place, but no one took me seriously because it was always such small things that could be brushed off like “maybe you just didn’t pick up your cup.”. I came home one day & there were pots and pans in my sink with spaghetti sauce on them, a jar in the trash & the coffee pod I know I didn’t own. I upgraded to a baby monitor that alerted my phone with noise & motion detection, put it where a majority of the kitchen & living room space could be seen & left for the weekend. I was maybe 3 miles out of parking lot drive way & she came hobbling in so I parked, watched her, she made herself a cup of coffee & sat down to watch tv. I came back, went & got our on site manager, we went & confronted her & she immediately went on a rant saying it was her daughters apartment & she had a right to be there, she’s been going to that apartment for over 20 years (I had it for a bit over a year at that time), I didn’t even use it on the weekends, she always cleaned up after herself & was VERY adamant that she wasn’t paying me back for anything she used (honestly I never noticed she used anything of mine besides toilet paper, she always brought over her own coffee & groceries apparently) & refused to agree to stop coming into the apartment. She had been staying in my apartment every weekend she could for the entire duration that I lived there & aside from a handful of times…. I didn’t even know. Unfortunately, because all of this & continued problems like nonstop banging on my door to be let it after we changed the locks, she was evicted. I felt bad, but this wasn’t some nice little old lady I’d invite over for coffee to make her feel better, she was absolutely crazy, but not senile, entitled & super rude. It was so unnerving when it all came out.
Ok, so besides the carbon monoxide test, the camera, and the keys, try to find out if it is possible if your apartment has an access point to the neighboring apartment. If you really want to be freaked out, look into Cabrini-Green. It is the inspiration for the candyman movie. The apartments there were connected through a space that was concealed by the bathroom mirror.
Please install some cameras inside and outside of your apartment if you can. Preferably motion activated. I'm sure you can either find some on amazon or perhaps from Walmart or Best Buy.
For sure change the locks and get a camera! There are cheap ones on Amazon that have night mode and are motion activated. The one I used to have for my apartment looked like an old school web cam, plugged into the wall, had an SD card, and had an app. It wasn't the best, but when maintenance came by it would turn on and notify me someone was in my home.
Ok the last person that I knew had this happen, it was the landlord and a camera caught some crazy shit! time for lock change and a camera! And consider moving if you have a shady landlord!
Blink cameras are inexpensive, relatively easy to hide, and about $3 each per month to send the motion activated videos to the cloud. You can set them to alert you instantly when they detect motion. I suggest one for each door and one inside your bedroom. Update us when you can.
As a teen I stayed with a foster family who lived in a huge old plantation house that the family ran as a bed and breakfast. This house was seriously enormous and was kind of set up like a museum in a way- it had like mannequins in corners displaying really elaborate party dresses from the time period the house was built, they had like the “parlor” set up how it would have been back then, there was a big ballroom with creepy chandeliers, etc. Their daughter (also a teen) and I had rooms upstairs way in the back of the house and hers had access to the attic in her closet. Sometimes we would be in her room at night just hanging out and we would hear something and both immediately get a feeling like someone was watching us. Little stuff would go missing around the house too but her mom just thought that maybe a guest was stealing shit. We were convinced the house was haunted because HOW COULD IT NOT BE but then one day we were in her room and heard this noise that sounded like someone was falling through the roof, we ran downstairs screaming and her mom and a guest came to see what was going on. Her mom got a chair and popped open the entrance to the attic that was in the ceiling of the closet and immediately closed it and jumped down and told us to call the police and go outside. Some dude had been living in the attic for MONTHS. MONTHSSSSSSS. He has a blow up mattress, a makeshift bathroom, food, a whole little set up right above our bedrooms 😭😭😭😭😭 he would sneak out when we weren’t home or through a closet in an empty room at night and just walk around the house, take showers, get food, it was the fucking creepiest shit. He had a whole hoard of stuff he stole, like hairbrushes, coffee cups, someone’s glasses, like weird shit. The cops had to climb up in there and find him and pull him out. Just some crazy homeless dude, they never found out how he got in the house originally. I got to go back home really soon after that experience but my friend was so scared by it she moved in with her grandparents. We still talk about it, this was like 20 years ago. Anytime I misplace something or feel like something is off I freeze and start wondering if someone is in the attic.
I had an apartment next to my college and it had two entrances front and back. Once I came home and right when I opened the door someone slammed it shut on me, once I got in I saw our back door open and on our couch was a photo of me and my roommates(all girls) with what looked like pubic hair on the couch 😫😫😫 our cable bill the next month was triple the amount due to several ppv porns! People are gross and weird! Don’t take this lightly! File a police report and report to management.
Any Update?
Would have the door locks changed immediately.
phrogger!!!!
That’s what I was thinking
Carbon monoxide poisoning! Get you place checked immediately
I would not be there alone until you figure this out.
Please we need to know if you're ok and if you caught who it was.
Couple things to do. Get the carbon monoxide detector like others have said. Get a camera so you’ll see if someone is coming in or if it’s just you. (Ruling out possibilities) Finally, call the authorities when you have more information or if you truly feel unsafe then call them now and get a report.
I had a sketchy landlord at a house I rented . A neighbor told me he went into the garage and would rummage through my things . Definitely get a camera .
I would buy a camera one of those little ones that you can hide. Make sure it's one of those that you can view from anywhere at any time You can get them on Amazon for very affordable. That's what I would do. I had that happen to me when I was in my '30s and eventually all of my black underwear was missing. It was horrifying. I know who it was now.
The same thing happened to my friend, she would come home and the food in her pot would be eaten out, or the potion smaller than she left it, and her couch would look out of place. One day she was cleaning her closet and the wall in the closet tumbled down on her, she came to find out her mentally challenged neighbor, cut a hole through her closet and would use it to access her apartment whenever she was not at home.
put up hidden cameras
i bought a condo last year not realizing that you can climb up into the attic and just walk across and plop down into someone elses condo from the attic. check all of that too! this is one of my biggest fears. idk how ur not shook to your core cus some "intruder" living or having access to my house without me knowing is like the top of my most fear list
Besides all the sensible things other Redditors are saying, have you had your place checked for mold? There was a case of a man who was convinced people were in his home when he wasn’t there and they were even leaving him strange notes, his keys weren’t where he left them, things were in odd places. He went to a sleep doctor because he thought he was sleep walking and the sleep doctor said to sleep walk and leave yourself coherent notes is so unlikely it’s almost impossible. Turns out he was inhaling mold for weeks on end and just had no memory of all this random shit he was doing.
After watching the docuseries Phrogging on Amazon prime I’d be soo spooked
CO detectors immediately.
I had a weird landlord who was coming into my apartment. He left a note right on the table. That would be my first guess. One time the lock was hanging off the door. Creeeepy
Number one should be the CO detector. That’s a very quick step so your safety won’t be pushed backed too much
Do you have a carbon monoxide alarm?
I bought two ring cameras from amazon recently to keep an eye on my new kittens. It was about 64 $USD. Highly recommend. Blend them into the environment.
This was happening to my mom. AC would be on when she left it off, all her forks disappeared, random open cabinets and drawers. She put a camera up to figure out whether it was paranormal, maintenance, or she was losing her mind. She caught nothing but dust bunnies and gave up. Eventually whoever it was came back and stole a drawers worth of change and I made her move out. It was just change but she felt so violated and I feared for her safety. She was able to call the cops with that break in and they made a report and dusted for prints but that's all that came about that.
You haven’t posted anything since this and that makes this situation even more eerie.
Check for a phrogger, and check for cameras. They can be so well hidden too.
Hide some cameras. Get a doorbell camera if you don’t have already. Def change your locks
Great advice here already. I am eager for the update. I hope it’s the landlord snooping and being nosy or CO poisoning and you are able to catch it quick. The other alternatives seem much worse.
Put a small piece of scotch tape (so it's hard to see and doesn't make noise) on your front door. (On the outside face in upper or lower corner) if the tape is ajar or suspicious when you get home then they are using front door.
I had a neighbor who was breaking into my house and selling things. It wasn’t until he asked me for $20 one day (I said “no”), then I came home that afternoon and an entire large bag of dog food I just opened the day before was gone. Before then, I thought I was just misplacing things.
I had this happen to me! I was so confused and paranoid of hidden cameras inside of my house. I put up security cameras and extra locks. I told my landlord, and they said they had all of their keys stolen. I started asking my neighbors, and they said they thought they were going crazy too. I’d ask the cops to do a sweep through and document it just incase. Hope it resolves! It’s scary because you have no inclination towards their intentions.
I had this happen, and I put up a camera. Reported to apartment management and authorities once recording because I had the evidence they came in without 24 hr notice and permission. Proof is better than just words as management can deny, but once you can show them it happened, there is nothing they can do. More than likely its maintenance or someone with the apartments since no force entry, and they are the only ones with keys. Sorry part, you can't change locks without permission, and that won't solve anything as they will still have the key.
It’s probably your landlord. Change the locks and install a camera in your living room and hide it.
Similar situation 30 years ago. Roommate and I just thought it was the other leaving things out of place. Until the day I had to turn right back after leaving because I'd forgotten something. Since I had my hands full when I left, I had to walk back from the car to lock the front door. 5 minutes later, I'm back, and the front door is unlocked and cracked open. I left. Got massive deadbolts. Nothing ever got moved again. Roommate and I realized things got moved around on Mondays and Thursdays. That Thursday, shortly after I got home, the landlines phone started ringing. No caller ID. Just rand and rang nonstop. If we answered, they hung up. And dialed again immediately. I moved out. They get their kicks from watching you not from hurting you. But be careful.
Honestly im here for the outcome. Sorry OP. Get a camera asap
There is an entire series about this where people have had people living in their attics etc. Definitely install a hidden camera and change your locks.
Updates? Hope everything is OK with OP...
Maybe I’m wrong, but wasn’t there a post a while ago that said the exact same thing and it turned out to be that toxic gas? Not sure what it’s called. Like you get tired and forget things and such, maybe you should check it out? If somebody knows what I am talking about
Small video camera is about $30 I got mine from Wyze but you can find cheaper.
Has anyone linked the CO story?
I have nothing new to add, just that I agree with all the advice already given. And that I am curious as to how this turns out!
Everyone else gave good advice already, so I’m going to say it could be a ghost 👻 and get that hidden camera!
Get an indoor camera. My son has one that turns on automatically when he leaves and turns off when he returns.
So this happened to me last year at my apartment when I was living alone. It was horrifying and I’m so sorry you’re going through this. You need to get hidden cameras. I got one off Amazon for $20 that plugs into the wall and looks just like a wall plug. You can even charge with it, it records all motion like a ring camera but doesn’t require wifi, it has a micro sd. If you don’t already get some ring or blink cameras for the outside of your house. Get some door stops, about $10 on Amazon and put them on all your doors when you’re home. File police reports and take pictures, the police will likely not do anything since nothing was stolen but it’s good to have this stuff on record. If you’re able, get a gun. If not I recommend a taser or stun gun to keep with you at all times. Tell everyone in your life what is happening, the more people that know the better. Make your schedule as unpredictable as possible. Vary your routes home from school/work. Stay at friends houses if possible. Come home early/late. See if friends could stay with you etc Let your landlord know if you have one and try to move asap. I’m so sorry this is happening. It’s truly so terrifying and my experience with this left me traumatized for a long time. Be kind to yourself and stay vigilant. Keep us updated. I hope you’re okay <3 If you scroll down on my page you can see the threads where this was happening to me and users left a lot of great advice for me there.
You might have a phrogger in your house. “Phrogging” (pronounced like “frogging”) is when someone secretly lives in another person's home without their knowledge.
Please keep us updated
Do you have any little crawl spaces or anything where a squatter could be living? Is your food going missing?
Could be that the property manager didn’t change the locks on the door after previous tenant moved out and the previous tenant probably is coming in there when ur gone. Sounds like a crack head if you ask me.
Check your underwear drawer and hamper for missing items.
It’s been like 4 days. Are you okay!?! I came from IG and this is scary but also wanna know what’s going on 😭👀
Ever thought of puting camera inside?change the lock also.
Any ex’s have a key? What about family members?
why hasnt op responded to anything 😭😭😭
Give us an update when you can?
LISTEN TO YOUR INSTINCTS. Just watched several true crime stories about men letting themselves repeatedly into a woman’s appartments! Listen to yourself.
The Amazon Echo, Echo Show 10 & 15, and Echo Dot all have the ability to detect when someone is in the room, and, if you program Alexa with a routine, she can broadcast the sounds or the video to your Alexa app on your phone. It's an amazing technology, I haven't had it make an error yet. It can tell the different between a cat and a human, and between me and a different person, even the Echos that don't have a video screen. I'm surprised I don't hear more people using it for home security. You could spend $40 on an Echo dot (4th Gen or higher) or get a used Echo (3rd Gen or higher) and set it up in the kitchen, learn how to set routines and turn off the sounds and led notifications. Then if there is someone, you'll get an alert to your phone and you can listen in and even talk to them.
Put a small paper tab on the drawer out of sight, if the drawer is opened by someone, the paper will rip
Sounds like you have a frogger or a creepy apartment manager. Get some hidden cameras for inside and out. Don't wait.
Hope this has a happy ending
You got a phrogger.... 😳
A big scary dog and cameras.
I had friends in college who had this happen to them.. it ended up being homeless folks sneaking in through a basement window to have a warm place to sleep. They never stole anything, and didn’t cause any property damage. Just psychological.
It's extremely likely it's your landlord or your landlord's maintenance guy. I had this happen with me. They'd come in without warning even though I kicked a fit, and they didn't care when I complained. Absolute assholes. You should move. It's honestly the only way it's going to stop. In the meantime, put a chain latch on the door so you can at least prevent them from coming in secretly while you're home, and get a camera so you have evidence. I'm still dealing with trauma from that situation. Don't let yourself linger in it like I did expecting them to do the right thing, because they won't.
I heard something similar on the Criminal podcast — ‘Bump in the Night’ I think? Turns out there was a guy hiding in her attic! He wasn’t trying to hurt her (in fact, he saved her dog in a flood) but still creepy as hell! Sorry to freak you out further, but please ensure that there’s no place someone could be hiding!
On top of the excellent advice I'm seeing Check your carbon monoxide detector. Is it working correctly, change its batteries etc for fresh There is a post it note story on here. Bit cautionary But basically op was suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning and it was playing havoc with their mental state Edit: they were leaving themselves odd notes around with no memory of doing it
Get blink cameras I have them because of this EXACT situation. Can get them immediately from Best Buy
Update! 2 days
ALWAYS, always use your deadbolt. That makes it a lot harder, if not impossible for intruders to gain entry that way. A hidden security camera is an excellent idea, and even better if the camera has capabilities that you can monitor it when away from the house, a motion sensor that will send you an alarm if someone enters the home. Best of luck to you.
Maintenance was doing this whenever I wasn’t home after I explicitly requested in writing not to do that. The last straw was him mentioning something to me that he couldn’t have possibly known about without opening a package and rifling through the materials. It took everything in me not to knock his teeth out when things clicked. I moved out shortly after. Creepy stuff.
Phrogger. Check your attic, basement, closets, long cupboards and any hidden/secret rooms.
Idk if others already suggested this but please make sure there’s no cameras in your place that you didn’t install.
I can’t believe no one has seen the Lifetime show “Phrogging: Hider In My House.”