Our friends banned us from using their pool while they’re on holidays – but still want me to take their rubbish bins out every week

A mother was furious when her neighbor 'friends' asked her to look after their house while they went on holiday but banned her family from using the swimming pool.

Claire and her husband thought they were good friends with Kevin and Leah, as both families lived on the same street and had often spent time together for more than a decade.

Kevin and Leah were wealthier and had a swimming pool in their backyard – an amenity that Claire's family often enjoyed.

So when the couple declared that they were traveling interstate for their summer vacation, Claire thought it obvious that her children would be allowed to use their pool in exchange for her keeping an eye on the house, collecting their mail, and put trash cans outside.

'I was suprised [when they said no] because it was definitely not what I expected. “We used to always be welcome to use the pool and always invited to come and swim, so I wasn't sure why we couldn't do that now,” the mother said. Children's pot.

After Claire pressed the issue, the couple eventually revealed that they did not feel comfortable with people using the pool unsupervised if something were to happen.

Kevin and Leah felt it was their responsibility to make sure everyone was safe as owners – a fact that rubbed their neighbors the wrong way.

“She also made comments that she was concerned that the property might be damaged or not used properly, and when she said this, I knew that this was what she was really afraid of: that our family would not be able to use her pool.” immaculate' condition. . Leah always worries about superficial things like this,” Claire said.

She didn't understand what the problem was since they promised to clean up after themselves and had teenagers who were good swimmers.

'In my opinion it's just rude and selfish of Leah not to let us use it. I mean, if we're responsible enough to keep an eye on her house and pick up her mail, aren't we trustworthy enough to take a dip in her pool?' Claire added.

As the summer progressed, she still considered using the pool and not telling her friends.

But this isn't the first time neighbors have argued over the use of a personal pool.

A Reddit user recently revealed that her neighbors “harassed” her for access to her pool due to an agreement with the home's previous owners.

'The children and adults from the neighborhood used the swimming pool when they wanted to. The gate was always open and they even had their inflatables nearby and had agreed to pay for the maintenance of the pool,” she said.

But the woman was not at all comfortable with that arrangement.

'We told them that we are quite private people and enjoy our privacy and that we don't see neighbors having access to our back garden whenever they want.

“Every time any of us wander around outside, they ask again and again and try to sell the idea that we have access to it. I tried to enjoy gardening and was cornered again.”

She said her neighbors constantly “talked” about the pool and refused to leave her alone.

'We are tired of the whining and the swimming pool is the only thing they want to talk about. It's not like we created a bond. All conversations are about the swimming pool.'