Neighbor’s kids playing on porch and I asked them to go elsewhere. AITA?
I live in an apartment building in a studio with a little porch area. I have a family above me and beside me. The family beside me continuously let their children play on my porch and they constantly leave garbage, food, and random toys/bikes all over it. I’ve never minded because I hate causing problems and I really needed this place (I lost my house to a fire and this is my only option) and I love kiddos. Today their kids (maybe 4-6 and 8-10) were playing with a garden hose and running into my porch sliding door (mind you they have their own porch….) so hard I was afraid they were going to break it and just slamming into it. I have no idea what they were doing, they were just spraying each other, my door/porch, and sliding into the glass repeatedly.. wrestling maybe? They were also trying to open and close it and only stopped when I locked it. I asked them if they could play elsewhere…I just slid it open and said “hey guys, I’m trying to sleep…can you play over there?” (I have to go to work at 4am and wouldn’t be bothered by the noise if it weren’t so close, I’m not asking them to be silent or anything like that…) And now I can hear the kid’s parents complaining about me outside because I asked their kids to play elsewhere (their porch maybe? Or the shared yard?). I’ve never lived in an apartment building or with neighbors this close and I don’t expect anyone to walk on eggshells around me. These neighbors in particular constantly take my parking spot (and the ones of the other family), have constant parties, and are generally very ignorant to everyone else in the building and to the neighbors all around.
I’ve never rented before so I don’t know if I even have permission to tell them to move. Am I the asshole here?
Again…I don’t mind the kids playing or making noise, but why does it have to be right there on my porch and not their own? What happens if they break the door? Or hurt themselves?😅 or what if I go out that way and slip in the mess they’ve made? I already can’t keep anything like flowers or a grill on the porch because I’m afraid they will break it…