Disagreements between neighbours, however small, can fester over time and do lasting damage to your relationships in the long term. If you can’t resolve a dispute with a neighbour it can really wear you down. This can have a serious effect on your quality of life, especially if it leads to you feeling threatened, isolated or scared in your own home or community.
The most common neighbour disputes relate to:
Our first advice is always to talk to your neighbour if possible and try to resolve the issue peacefully. If you’re worried about approaching them, write a letter, explaining the problem clearly and sticking to the facts. A tenants’ association might help if you’re a member of one.
Get practical advice from Citizens Advice to deal with common neighbour disputes, like noise and rubbish.
Contact your neighbour’s landlord
If your neighbour is a tenant, you can complain to their landlord. This could be a housing association, the council or a private landlord.
Use a mediation service
If you cannot resolve the dispute by speaking to your neighbour, get help from a mediation service.
How mediation works -
Mediation is when an impartial person – trained in dealing with difficult discussions between 2 opposing sides – acts like a referee in a dispute.
There can be a fee for mediation, but this will still be cheaper than hiring a solicitor and taking legal action.
Neighbourhood Watch provide useful guidance on how to attempt to resolve common disputes. It is available online here.
UK Government advice on resolving neighbourhood disputes and sourcing mediation services is available here.
If the problem involves noise, such as a loud party or dogs barking please contact Noise – Cornwall Council
If the problem involves high hedges, please contact High hedges – Cornwall Council
You should call the Police if the problems have escalated or you’ve been threatened, verbally abused or personally targeted.
