Homeowner's Reason for Planting Hedge To Block Neighbor's View Praised

A homeowner has been backed online for taking a stand against a neighboring Airbnb owner who is profiting out of the views from the property.

Reddit user, u/Few_Orchid1376 explained in a now viral post that they bought a historical property in 2022 which was previously run as a hotel, but has now been turned back into a luxurious private home.

However, a small gardener's cottage on the land was sold separately, and is now being run as an Airbnb, much to the homeowner's surprise.

The post reads: "We turned the property back into a private residence. A main country road runs right by the longest edge of the unfenced garden, so we decided to plant hedges for privacy and to block off access in case my nephews visit and play football.

"There is a small gardener's cottage right at the edge of this line, which was sold separately when we bought our home. We made sure to keep any bushes between us and them on our side of the property line."

An elderly couple sold the cottage to a relative, who said he planned to rent it out as an Airbnb.

It was being marketed as a chance to spend some time on the land and take in the glorious views of the historic property. But after months of growing the new hedges, those views are now diminished, and the cottage can no longer pride itself on having such incredible vistas.

"He, and the (elderly) couple, have sent official looking letters stating we are impeding their reasonable enjoyment of the property as they had planned to market the cottage as part of the property, with views of a historical landmark, and once our hedge is full height, that view will be greatly diminished, if not almost entirely gone.

"So AITA [am I the a******?] for potentially damaging someone's income by planting these hedges?"

It is undoubtedly a difficult issue, as the homeowner understandably wants their privacy, but the Airbnb owner doesn't want to sacrifice their income. Newsweek spoke to Ginia Williams, a realtor at Centric Realty based in Memphis, Tennessee, who also owns her own Airbnb properties.

Williams notes that if there isn't a homeowner's association, or similar organization, then there aren't any guidelines which stipulate against growing hedges on a property. However, she advises the Reddit user and the Airbnb host to communicate and work together to build a solution that works for them both.

She told Newsweek: "Airbnb's tend to be things that people love or hate, and sometimes there are situations that can cause disruption and disputes. Remember that communication is key and is unfortunately something that many adults avoid.

"I'd recommend the owners work together to come up with a solution that is beneficial to them both. Maybe a solution could be to cut the hedge to where there's still a nice view of the cottage and a privacy fence around the home."

Another recommendation that Williams made is for the Airbnb host to offer the homeowner a "complimentary stay" so they can experience it personally and see the effect of the hedges.

Since the Reddit post was shared on September 1, it has generated more than 11,400 votes and over 900 comments.

Many Redditors firmly agree that the poster isn't in the wrong for wanting privacy in their own home, and they recommend looking into the local regulations for Airbnbs.

Reddit user u/xanneonomousx commented: "Marketing their property as being able to look at yours 24/7 sets you up to have your privacy violated. They know they don't have any legal leg to stand on, or they would have gone that route instead of sending you fake letters."

A comment by user u/lildobe reads: "Check your local zoning and conduct ordinances. Many municipalities require special permitting for short-term rentals, or outright ban them, except for certain districts."

Newsweek reached out to u/Few_Orchid1376 via Reddit for comment. We could not verify the details of the situation.

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