Living with other people
Getting on with your neighbours
We all want to enjoy our home and surroundings in the way that
suits us. But often we have different ideas of what is acceptable
behaviour. One person’s enjoyment of music can be another’s
unbearable noise. Keen gardeners can be upset by a neighbour’s
total lack of gardening interest. Often we have to accept that we
need to live together and accept differences in lifestyle.
We hope that you enjoy your home and will not have any
problems, but there are times when a neighbour’s behaviour can
cause great distress and action needs to be taken.
Anti-social behaviour ranges from serious, criminal activity
such as selling drugs, to other issues such as loud music or
nuisance from pets or animals. If you are experiencing any form of
anti-social behaviour, please contact us and we will advise you
what we can do to make it stop.
You can also help to prevent problems from arising by following
some simple advice.
- Keep noise from a radio, a hi-fi, a TV, domestic cleaning or
DIY activities to acceptable levels at reasonable hours.
- Do not put equipment against shared walls, and if you live in a
flat place it on a rubber mat or carpet to reduce the
vibration.
- Show consideration for your neighbours and the community in
which you live.
Problems with neighbours
If you are having problems with a neighbour, maybe because they
are playing their music too loudly, or arguing and slamming doors,
please try these suggestions:
- Try to speak to them calmly and politely to tell them that they
are causing you some difficulties. Your neighbour may not be aware
that they are causing a nuisance and you may be able to sort out
everything in a friendly way.
- If this is not successful you should contact us, and we can
provide advice and explain what we may be able to do to help sort
out the problem. We will normally ask a series of questions to
understand the problem and assess the risk to you and the impact
the situation is having on you. We may also be able to put you in
touch with other agencies that may be able to help, such as the
police or Environmental Health.
If it is serious or persistent, we will agree an action plan
with you, and we will consider a range of legal solutions that we
may be able to take if things like warnings or mediation do not
work or are not appropriate.
If you would like more information on how we tackle anti-social
behaviour, please contact us and we can provide information on our
policies and procedures.
We are looking for residents to join our service
improvement panel. The panel will meet 4-6 times per year and will
help shape what we do and how we do it.
If you are interested in joining please contact Sarah
Seeger on 0300 123 2468. We’ll pay your
expenses if you decide to join us.