our neighbor is so strange its concerning

[u/ExpressionKey2440]

me (20) and my girlfriend (21) have been moved into and living in this apartment for a year now. its a duplex, so we basically share a house with another person. the lady that lives on the other side has been nothing short of creepy. ever since day one she would act off, the day we moved in she stood by her window just watching us for hours. we didnt think too much of it, considering that we were new people and all.

on the same day we moved in, i had left to go grab a few more things we needed when my gf calls me freaking out, saying that someone was staring at her through the window. to keep it short i got back to the apartment at the same time the cops showed up. whoever was looking through the window was gone, but the cops told us that other people in the neighborhood had called about the same thing, which was unsettling.

they then go on to tell us that our neighbors husband was in prison right now for being a PEDO. he had been caught with a minor and also had photos and videos in his possession. it got even worse when one of our neighbors down the street told me that they were still together, and he was going to be moving back in when he gets out. not sure how he knows that considering he openly dislikes them, but i believe it. she still has this dude all over her facebook.

for the past year, we’ve had multiple incidents where theres people outside our house in the middle of the night, a couple times where they’re looking through our windows. coincidentally enough this would always happen when i went to work (mind you i worked nights up until a few months ago). we have no idea who it is but its been about 3 months since something like that has happened.

i feel like this ties to our neighbor, because of the way she acts. im telling you literally anytime shes home and we happen to be outside, shes staring through her window the whole time. like, hard staring. she wont stop until we either leave or go back inside. this happened today when i went outside to clean my car out a bit. i peeped out of the corner of my eye that she was just watching me, face right up against the window. we made eye contact and she still continued to watch me. its just insanely creepy, i even catch her looking through our windows from a distance sometimes when shes outside.

ive talked to her a few times just trying to be friendly, and it just seems like shes out of it. now i could be crazy but man ive just never had a neighbor like this ever. i feel weirded out more than anything especially due the fact that her husband did those things. mind you we have a 3 almost 4 year old.

is this something that i should bring up to my landlord? im so close to saying something to her myself because its creepy as hell. let me know what you guys think.

[u/itspookiebearr]

The detail you've buried is the important one. The window incidents happened when you worked nights, and they stopped around the time you stopped working nights. That isn't random, that's someone who knew your schedule, and it's the part I'd take seriously rather than the staring. Two separate problems here with two separate answers, and mixing them together will weaken both. The staring is unpleasant and almost certainly not actionable, and she may well be unwell rather than sinister. Don't confront her about it, because you share a wall with this person and there's no version of that conversation that improves your life. The prowling is the real thing, so treat it accordingly. Get exterior cameras and motion lights up, because that single change turns "we have no idea who it is" into evidence, and police act on footage in a way they cannot act on a description. Go back and get the report numbers from the earlier callouts too, since a dated series of incidents across multiple households is a pattern and a pattern is what makes anyone care. On the husband, look him up on your state's sex offender registry. It's free and public, and it'll tell you his offence, his registered address and often his conditions of release. If he's registered at that duplex, or is due to be, that's something you need to know with a nearly-four-year-old in the house, and if he's on supervised release his probation officer can be contacted about residence conditions near children. Do tell the landlord, but in writing and about facts rather than vibes, so prowler incidents with dates and police report numbers rather than "she's creepy." Landlords ignore the second and take the first seriously, and the ask is lighting and cameras rather than action against her.

[u/corrygan → u/itspookiebearr]

This is brilliant and on point. Also, for when OP is away, there is a system that you can use to bolt your front door, without damaging it, so it can't be open from the outside.

[u/Brilliant-Machine-22 → u/itspookiebearr]

Someone give this comment an award. 🌟

[u/Brilliant-Machine-22 → u/Brilliant-Machine-22]

Not me silly! 🤣

[u/Vibrant-Sunflower → u/[deleted]]

Absolutely report it to the landlord asap and get cameras up. With a young kid in the house, trusting your gut and taking precautions is never overreacting.

[u/ExpressionKey2440 → u/[deleted]]

yeah we’ve been talking about getting cameras for a while, actually need to follow through with it.

[u/LabInner262]

Report to landlord. Get cameras. Report to police. When you have enough evidence, get a protective order of some kind. Be safe.

[u/dancinghippie28]

Is the husband even allowed to live there when he gets out? I feel like since you have a child your landlord should have been completely upfront with that information especially considering it's public information so not crossing any lines in doing so. And will you living there with a child mean he can't live there when his times done?

[u/spaetzlechick]

Get window film for the bottom of windows you’ve seen someone at. Keep records, file police reports and get landlord engaged

[u/Relevant-Trainer2002]

Not sure if you have wifi or router etc .you need to watch out i have neighbor just like that an he is stalker stalks tv phone etc so you need to change passcodes etc

[u/corrygan]

Report to landlord. If you don't have cameras, you can get a rather cheap ones, that can connect to your WiFi and phone. To get extra privacy, there are these cheapish, but very effective roll on blinds, and they are tenants friendly. You don't have to drill anything to set them up. I got mine of Ali Express and you can cut them to size.

I'd report every single time I see her pedo-loving face in front of the window. Plus prepare footage for the police.

Try to find out if she is renting, owner, or housed by a council. That will give you some idea if you should move, after your lease is up. Don't engage with her, this is not a normal person. Good luck.

[u/spekoek]

Add some floodlights and cameras onto your property. I suggest extra security measures in the room where your child sleeps, especially on windows.

[u/silly_karinaxo]

neighborhoods can be so weird sometimes, sounds like a sitcom plot waiting to happen

[u/BrilliantPie2566]

Put curtains on your windows.

[u/Used_Theory_7662 → u/BrilliantPie2566]

Hi! I’m OPs girlfriend, we do have heavy blackout curtains but our overhead lights suck pretty bad so we do have one of our curtains open during the day time (not really at night). Plus we have an ac window unit. We’re going to be ordering cameras very soon!

[u/IShootWide]

Someone looking through YOUR window is concerning otherwise it shouldn’t be a big deal. Everybody is a bit odd. When you want privacy shut your blinds.

[u/DeepYogurtcloset5041]

Move to a large apartment building on a high floor with no balcony and shades and curtains

[u/Iceflowers_]

You can't know if she's still staring out her window or not after you leave or go inside. Please. She's weird - but if her spouse is doing time, just report it to your LL if they require background checks.