Neighbors can be a blessing or a burden.

When this homeowner’s neighbors requested to use their pool, they reluctantly agreed at first.

But once the neighbors start constantly asking to use the pool, the homeowner is left feeling caught between friendliness and their need for privacy.

Read on for all the details.

AITA for not letting neighbors use my pool?

I have been in my house about five years now. It’s a beautiful pool in the back that I had refinished the first year.

I also do Airbnb and my guests have access to the pool.

They’re used to other people using the pool, but they set strict boundaries.

When guests use the pool, I will typically give them some privacy and let them enjoy the backyard unless I might need to pass through on the way to the garage or whatever.

The previous owners had a different approach to letting others use the pool.

So the neighbors have lived in their place 20+ years and we’re good friends with the original owner and their kids who subsequently lived here.

They had mentioned when I first moved in, that the previous tenants did not let them ever use the pool.

But this homeowner decided to take a different approach.

Of course, my being friendly, said well you can use it sometimes.

So after the refinish they did use the pool a few times that summer.

That is, until the requests got out of hand.

They would ask first & after a couple of times I realized it was a little awkward for me (they didn’t seem to care one iota), so as they kept asking.

I would make up excuses and eventually they got the hint. Well for a couple of years, it seems like they did.

Fast forward to now.

They thought they had finally gotten over the awkwardness, until their neighbors brought it up again.

I’m making small talk with the neighbor and he said, “Hey, it’s been really hot lately, mind if we use the pool sometime? Of course we would text and ask you first…”

I muttered a response something about “…well if I don’t have guests using it, I guess maybe.”

This is not the outcome the homeowner was hoping for.

I felt totally caught off guard and I’m just not comfortable with a flat out, “no I don’t want you in my pool.”

But the fact of the matter is I don’t want them in my pool. It’s not like we’re good friends, I wouldn’t hang out with them in normal circumstances.

They don’t even feel that close to their neighbors.

They’ve never once invited me over for even a cup of coffee.

I don’t dislike them they’re just not my kind of people.

We’re friendly in a neighborly kind of way, bringing each other‘s trashcans up , exchanging pleasantries here and there, etc.

But after all, they still have to see them all the time.

I just don’t want weird animosity between us because I live next-door to them.

But I value my privacy and they seem to be a little invasive at times.

Am I being a jerk? How would you handle?

What a dilemma. It’s hard to be afraid to rock the boat, but what other choice does the homeowner have?

Reddit chimes in.

According to this commenter: Their pool, their rules.

If their pool is so popular, maybe the owner could make a gig out of it.

This redditor thinks that if the pool owner would be more forceful, this neighbors would stop bugging them about it so much.

This commenter thinks accepting the neighbor’s requests would be a slippery slope.

The homeowner will have to decide whether they value their privacy or their neighbor’s feelings more.

When it comes to setting boundaries, it’s either sink or swim.

If you liked that post, check out this one about an employee that got revenge on HR when they refused to reimburse his travel.