Have you ever thought you found the perfect place to live, but after moving in the landlord, HOA or neighbors make what would be an otherwise great neighborhood truly awful?

I hope you answered no, but a lot of people answer yes. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be stories like the one you’re about to read.

A divorced woman rented a basement apartment from an older man who lives upstairs. Unfortunately, after moving in, she realized his concerning behavior was not a coincidence, and she’s starting to have panic attacks because of it.

Now, she’s thinking about sending him a message explaining how she feels, but she’s not sure if that’s the right thing to do.

Let’s read the whole story to decide.

My landlord has been stalking and harassing me for over a year- should I send him this message?

I’m a divorced woman living alone in a basement unit, and I work from home.

My landlord is a retired old man who lives alone upstairs.

His porch is directly above my entrance, and he spends most of the day out there watching YouTube.

This is odd.

At first I thought it was just a coincidence. But for over a year, whenever I open my door, come home, or especially step outside to smoke, he suddenly coughs loudly, stomps, bangs, or makes some other noise from the porch.

It happens every day, from early morning until late at night, and it’s driving me crazy.

He has also played what sounded adult videos very loudly, and I recorded it. It feels like he wants me to know he is there and that he knows what I’m doing.

It’s affecting her mental health.

Two weeks ago I yelled at him to stop.

He stopped for a while, then started again.

I called the police, but they said there was nothing they could do.

I’m now constantly on edge and have had a panic attack. I’m month-to-month and can’t afford to move right now.

She wants to get her point across.

I’m thinking of sending him this:

“I’m putting this in writing because this has been going on for a long time. Please stop reacting to my movements or making noises directed at me. I just want to live peacefully and come and go without feeling watched or disturbed. Please respect my privacy and leave me alone.”

Would you send this?

Here’s some more context.

He’s not that old I’m 55, and he’s probably around 65. And as for smoking, he’s a smoker too.

He often stands on his porch and watches me when I walk down the hill to my place.

And about the videos- yes, I know exactly what adult Japanese videos sound like, My ex used to watch it

What should she do about this situation? Is sending that message the right way to handle it, or is there a better way?

Let’s see what Reddit suggests.

This person doesn’t think her landlord is doing anything wrong.

Another person suggests ignoring him.

One person has a theory.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a neighbor who steps in to stop illegal driveway construction for friends down the road.

Nobody seems to think her landlord is doing anything wrong.

Her landlord is probably just living his life and announcing his presence when she goes outside so she doesn’t feel like he’s spying on her. His actions seem to be having the opposite effect on her though.

If she doesn’t like his behavior, she might need to find somewhere else to live. It’s his house, and he seems to be leaving her alone.

She can ignore him or move, but the message she wrote probably won’t be helpful at all.