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Millions stressed over neighbours from hell
Dealing with neighbour disputes has blighted the lives of up to a third of homeowners in the last year alone
Up to a third of UK homeowners have admitted to being stressed or depressed due to dealing with nasty neighbours, according to a new survey by Ocean Finance.
A worrying high 38% of respondents say that they no longer feel safe in their own homes or struggle to sleep because of stress caused by their neighbours.
And further 24% want to move to a new area to escape the problem.
Too loud
Of those who have experienced nuisance neighbours, the most common annoyance is excessive noise (57%), including stomping around the house, loud arguments and late-night parties.
Around 30% have suffered rude or abusive neighbours and a further 15% said their neighbour used intimidating or threatening behaviour.
Half of all respondents to the survey complained that their neighbour doesn’t look after the exterior of their property or said there are problems with litter and rubbish being dumped.
Regional differences
London has by far the highest number of incidents, with 52% of those questioned saying they have encountered some form of nuisance neighbour during the past year.
Welsh residents were least likely to have encountered neighbour annoyances (26%), compared with the national average of 36%.
What to do
The Government recommends the following steps when dealing with a neighbour dispute:
- Speak to your neighbour
- If your neighbour is a tenant, contact their landlord
- Use a mediation service
- Complain to the council
- Call the police
- Take legal action
Gareth Shilton, Ocean’s spokesperson, says: “The research highlights the devastating impact that problem neighbours can have on the lives of people in our communities. Loud noise, dumped rubbish, shabby houses, even threats and abuse are causing misery for millions of people who live in fear.
“It’s understandable that people may feel worried about tackling the problem of nuisance neighbours. There are organisations that can support residents with these problems and give advice on how to deal with neighbour disputes so they can start to feel safe in their homes again.”
