Neighbour Nuisance
Neighbour Nuisance and Disputes
The City Councils tenancy conditions state:
"The tenant shall not cause, or allow other occupiers and visitors to cause a nuisance or annoyance to the neighbours"
Further responsibilities of the tenant are laid down in the Good Neighbour Guide which is supplied in each tenants handbook.
We will try to resolve nuisance problems without taking court action if possible. Even when legal action is being taken we will continue to talk to the people involved and try to get them to reach an agreement to change their behaviour or settle a dispute.
We offer these services to help you:
- Mediation
- Witness support
- Specialist officer to deal with serious nuisance and harassment
- Effective policies and procedures on nuisance and harassment
- A community based approach to curbing nuisance
If you are experiencing a problem with a neighbour, then your first step should be to approach them yourself. You can then explain what it is they are doing that is disturbing you. It may be that your neighbour is unaware of the problems they are causing and will be prepared to reach a compromise with you. Try not to shout or lose your temper with your neighbour as this can make the situation worse and could lead to action being taken against you.
If this fails to resolve the problem you should write to your neighbour explaining the effect their actions are having on you, and politely ask them to change their behaviour. Refer to any previous discussions you may have had, and any agreements reached to resolve the problem. It is useful if you keep a copy of any letters you send to your neighbour.
These initial steps may resolve the situation. However should you need to take your complaint further, please contact your Area Housing Manager, who will investigate your complaint and make every effort to help resolve the problem. If you have experienced violent behaviour or harassment from your neighbour in the past or feel threatened by them you should not attempt to resolve the matter yourself.
Your Area Housing Manager can try to arrange an opportunity for you and your neighbour to sit down and discuss the problems that you are experiencing. This is called Mediation and will only be done with the agreement of those involved. This allows those in dispute to meet on neutral ground and try to resolve the difficulties they are experiencing. The process of mediation can be very effective. It is common for people who have been in dispute for long periods of time not to appreciate the other person's position. The process of mediation can often help resolve long standing problems.
If your neighbour is causing a persistent nuisance with noise, such as having parties, keeping noisy animals, having unsociable visitors or running a business which interferes with the quiet enjoyment of your home, you must put your complaint to us in writing. It will help us if you keep a detailed record, making a note of times of relevant incidents. You may have to attend Court and give evidence about nuisance and its effects. However, this is an extreme remedy and will only be necessary in exceptional cases.
Once we receive your written complaint we will contact you and make appropriate investigations. Anyone breaching their Tenancy Conditions will be warned about their behaviour and where appropriate we will offer mediation. If necessary, legal action can be taken. For further details contact your Area Housing Manager.
Will my complaint be treated confidentially?
We take the issue of confidentiality very seriously. Any information supplied by others when making a complaint or supporting a complaint will be treated in confidence. The identity of the person making the complaint will not be given to the person(s) being complained about, although it may be obvious who is making the complaint if you are the neighbour. Furthermore, if court action is taken the name of the person making the complaint will come out in the evidence.
Your Tenancy Conditions form the legal contract between us and yourself as the tenant. The Tenancy Conditions state that you have agreed to ensure that you, members of your family and other residents or visitors to the premises, do not cause nuisance to neighbours or other residents of your community.
We aim to encourage everyone to have due consideration for all of their neighbours. We will actively defend people's rights to live in their home free from nuisance and harassment.
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