1) It could be someone elses remote other than your nearest neighbors. These fan remotes are supposed to have a limited range and be FCC approved. However, this stuff is made offshore so who knows what the quality really is. 2) The problem could stem from anything in the area that emits a signal that is not properly controlled; a home entertainment center with wireless speakers, CB/ham radio, etc. My friend had the same problem after moving into a new townhome, and traced the problem to a neighbors wireless hub router for their computers. FYI-a local towing firm's CB radio caused my cordeless phone to ring & I was able to listen/talk

3)- The
most likely problem is the remote controller-basically a receiver-located under the fan canopy. This unit controlls the fan (and lights if applicable), contains microprocessors and receives signals from the hand held unit. If the processor in the remote controller gets messed up, it could explain why the fan goes on/off on its own, even with the batteries removed from the hand unit.