Living in an apartment should feel safe and private.

The following story involves a woman who has a neighbor who repeatedly films her whenever she leaves her unit.

At first, she brushed it off, but later learned he had a habit of documenting residents and reporting them.

Things got worse when she received a formal complaint despite not doing anything disruptive.

Uh oh! Looks like she’s in big trouble. Let’s take a closer look!

My neighbor has been “documenting” me for three months and I only just found out why

I moved into my current place about eight months ago.

From week one, I noticed the guy across the hall, mid-50s, would sometimes open his door right as I was leaving mine.

I thought it was just timing at first. Then. I started noticing he had his phone out. Every single time.

I did not say anything because I genuinely thought I was being paranoid.

I thought maybe he was just checking messages or whatever.

This woman initially doubted that her neighbor was filming her.

Then, my friend came to visit and pointed it out immediately.

She said, “That man just filmed you.”

I still talked myself out of it.

I wondered what reason he would even have.

She later learned from another resident that this neighbor had a habit of reporting people.

Three weeks ago, I ran into the woman who lives one floor up.

We got to talking, and she mentioned him casually.

She said he had been “reporting residents” to the building association for supposed lease violations.

She said he had been doing it for years.

Apparently, he keeps a personal log with photos and videos as “evidence.”

She went through the lease contract and found out about “nuisance behavior.”

She said two people had actually received formal warnings based on his submissions.

One of them was for having a guest stay more than the allowed number of nights per month.

I went home and looked at my lease properly for the first time. It has this clause about “nuisance behavior.”

It is so vague you could apply it to basically anything.

I have had friends over on weekends. I have received deliveries.

I park in my spot, but sometimes slightly uneven.

Apparently, he also documented that with timestamped photos.

She received a letter of complaint.

Last week, I got a letter from the association.

It said there had been a “complaint regarding repeated disturbances” from my unit.

I work from home. I do not play music loud. I do not have parties.

I responded in writing asking for specifics.

They said the complaint was “under review.”

She tried to talk to him, but was dismissed.

I knocked on his door to talk.

He opened it about four inches, then he looked at me.

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He said, “I would prefer you contact me in writing.” Then, he shut it.

I genuinely do not know what I did to become his project.

I feel like I am living in some low-budget surveillance state.

I have not slept properly in a week.

Oh no, that’s seriously unsettling. Living like you’re constantly being watched is exhausting.

I don’t think I could feel comfortable in my own home if someone were watching and recording my every move.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a tenant who decided to stop returning his neighbor’s misplaced laundry after two years.

That neighbor’s behavior feels way over the line. Let’s check out other people’s comments.

Short and sensible.

This person makes a valid suggestion.

Here’s another idea…

Start filming him back, says this one.

Finally, people have the same opinion.

Some neighbors don’t just mind their business. They document yours, too.