Home > Residents > Tenants Handbook > 2 - Your Tenancy > You and your Neighbours

We recognise that problems with neighbours are very common and we will do what we can to help. We cannot get involved if it is a dispute between neighbours, where no-one is actually doing anything wrong, but we will intervene if someone is in breach of their tenancy – including taking legal action against the most serious forms of nuisance and antisocial behaviour.
Some examples of nuisance are excessive noise from music or appliances, shouting late at night, dumping of cars or rubbish,
persistent noise and mess caused by dogs, and obstructing communal areas.

Noise
Noise is probably the most common cause of problems between neighbours. Some simple ways of minimising noise problems are:

• Talk to your neighbours about what they can hear from your home, particularly if it is a flat
• Keep noise from radios, hi-fis, and TVs to reasonable levels, particularly if you have the windows open, and ensure that no such noise can be heard from your home after 11 pm at night
• Restrict cleaning and DIY activities to reasonable hours
• If you have permission to keep a dog, ensure it is not left barking in your home or garden for long periods
• Tell your neighbours if you intend to hold a party

Car Parking
Car parking often causes friction between neighbours. The parking arrangements for Hexagon properties vary according to the location, so we cannot give detailed guidance here, but please contact your Housing Officer to see if there are any particular arrangements where you live.

Living in Flats – Obstructing Communal Areas
If you live in a flat, it is very important that the shared areas inside the building are kept clear. Obstructions such as bicycles etc. can be a nuisance to other residents and could impede your exit in case of an emergency. If you have a nuisance complaint about your neighbour, as a first step, try talking to them in a tactful manner, as they may not realise the effect their actions are having. If this proves unsuccessful in resolving the matter, discuss the matter with a Customer Services Advisor, or your Housing Officer, who will be able to advise you on what action you and we can take. Wherever possible, we will work with you and your neighbour to try and work out your differences. We will not “take sides” but will remain neutral. We will either try to mediate ourselves or, with you and your neighbour’s agreement, use one of the local mediation agencies to do so. This approach is usually effective in reaching a solution acceptable to both sides. We will contact you  periodically to check if the incidents of nuisance have reduced.

We will only take legal action against a tenant who is in serious breach of their tenancy. We must have sufficient evidence of theanti-social behaviour if we are to be successful, which may mean you or other witnesses having to appear in court. We will work with the police in trying to resolve these serious cases, sharing information with them as required. We may seek an injunction which is an order of the court to prevent a person from doing something or, in the case of anti-social behaviour carried out by children, we could try to obtain an Anti-Social Behaviour Order. We may also seek possession of the home in serious cases. Legal action against anti-social behaviour can also be brought by the Environmental Health departments of local authorities.Individuals can also go to court to try and stop anti-social behaviour; if you want to take legal action yourself, you should get advice from a Citizens’ Advice Bureau, Law Centre or solicitor.
 
We have an Information Pack that explains our approach in more detail. Please ask the Customer Services Centre for a copy.

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