'A little creepy': Drones invading residential spaces

She heard the buzzing first, and then spotted a drone hovering about 20 metres above her neighbours' houses in Invermay.

"[I saw] this green and red light - it was like it was looking right at me and it just hovered," she said.

"It felt really close - it felt like I could have thrown something at it, it was that close."

She went with her son to the other side of her house and the drone was there too.

"In that instant I just felt really unsafe," she said.

"I just thought 'this is really weird'. When I talked to my kids about it they said 'yeah we've seen the same thing hanging around recently'."

Ms Clarey is not alone in having an unusual run-in with drones in Launceston.

Residents' experiences detailed on social media range from "a little creepy" to "becoming a real worry", and many are unsure about what rules are in place.

Drone rules are enforced by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, which states that recreational drones must be kept at least 30 metres away from other people.

They must not be flown in a populous area, such as weddings, events or busy parks.

"It's important to know that you can't fly your drone closer than 30 metres to people or over people at any time - no matter how high you fly above them," a CASA spokesperson said.

"If you believe you've seen someone breaking the rules, or flying in an unsafe manner, you can report it to CASA using our online form or via the aviation complaints website.

"The more information, photos and videos you can provide as evidence, will assist CASA to progress the matter in line with our enforcement policies."

Those breaking the rules can be fined up to $1565 for a minor offence.

Major offences, such as flying too close to an aircraft or interfering with a drone can result in fines of up to $37,901 or a two-year jail sentence.