You should follow these steps before getting the council involved.
The Government has shared the first thing you should do if you have any dispute with your neighbour. This could involve issues with loud music, bins, or other anti-social behaviour.
While we all would hope to get on with our neighbours, this is not always the case. And while some activities can require getting the council or police involved, in most cases there is an initial step you should take.
On the Government website, it advises sticking to this step “if you have a dispute with your neighbour”. It says: “Try to solve the problem informally by talking to them.”
Before making a formal complaint or getting others involved, GOV.UK says you should try to discuss the problem with your neighbour. “If you’re worried about approaching them, write a letter, explaining the problem clearly and sticking to the facts,” it says.
“If the problem affects other neighbours, involve them as well. It can be easier to settle a dispute if the complaint comes from a number of people. A tenants’ association might help if you’re a member of one.”
It recommended getting practical advice from Citizens Advice to deal with “common” neighbour disputes, like noise and rubbish. Citizens Advice says: “If your neighbour is noisy or stops you feeling comfortable, try to discuss it with them if you can.
“If that doesn’t work there are other ways you can ask them to stop, for example by reporting them to the council.” Alongside talking to your neighbour, Citizens Advice recommends keeping records of the problem or getting help from a mediator.
If you think it’s anti-social behaviour
According to Citizens Advice, if your neighbour’s behaviour is classed as “anti-social” there are steps you can take to stop it happening. It’s classed as anti-social behaviour if it causes “nuisance and annoyance”. This could be, for example, if they:
- Make a lot of noise
- Dump rubbish
- Write graffiti
- Have a dog that barks a lot or causes trouble
- Use your garden without permission
Citizens Advice clarifies: “It isn’t anti-social behaviour if the problem’s about normal day-to-day living, for example if you don’t like your neighbour’s cooking smells or you can hear their baby crying. The only way to solve these problems is by talking to your neighbour to try and agree a compromise.
“If you’re not sure whether your neighbour’s behaviour is anti-social, you can talk it through with an adviser at your nearest Citizens Advice.” Anti-social behaviour should be reported to the council.
You should contact the police if you think your neighbour has broken the law – for example, they’ve been violent or threatening. “Call 999 if the crime is still happening or 101 to report a crime later,” Citizens Advice says.
The Government website advises the following steps if talking to your neighbour hasn’t worked:
- If your neighbour is a tenant, you could contact their landlord
- You could use a mediation service if raising the issue informally does not work
- If the dispute involves a statutory nuisance (something like loud music or barking dogs), you can make a complaint to your local council
- Contact the police if your neighbour is breaking the law by being violent or harassing you
As a last resort you can take legal action through the courts.