Advice Dealing with Neighbours

When there may be a problem with neighbours

There are different behaviours that can cause problems for neighbours and some are more serious than others.

Different lifestyles and one-off incidents

We are all different and you should respect that other people may not live their lives in the same way as you live yours.

Often people do not realise they may be disturbing others and are not doing it on purpose. For example, someone vacuuming late at night may not be aware it can be heard by their neighbours and is disturbing them.

One-off incidents can be annoying at the time, such as a loud party or BBQ. But if they are part of every-day living, and not frequent, then you should try to tolerate it. If they occur on a regular basis, and the disturbance causes you a problem, it is often a matter of making your neighbour aware in a friendly manner and seeking to work out a solution together.

We encourage residents to try to resolve matters around different lifestyle issues and minor nuisance, because involving us or other agencies before talking to your neighbours, may lead to hostile feelings and make the matter worse.

Examples of normal activities within and around the home at reasonable levels are:

• Children playing 

• Children and babies crying

• Isolated and short incidents of dogs barking 

• DIY activities at reasonable times of the day

• Everyday household living noise, footsteps, toilets flushing, vacuuming, using washing machine and other appliances

• Children falling out with each other

• One-off parties and BBQs

• You can be a good neighbour by:
  • Showing tolerance - No neighbour can always be perfect and we all have different lifestyles
  • Being friendly - saying hello to each other. A friendly ‘MORNING’ can make someone’s day
  • Being Respectful - Thinking about the impact you have on your neighbours in the way you act
  • Respecting each other’s privacy
  • Getting to know each other
  • Looking out for each other, keeping an eye out when people are away on holiday, or in hospital
  • Checking in on neighbours you have not seen just to make sure they are OK
  • Participating in community activities
  • Volunteering for the community it’s a good way to make friends
  • Cleaning up after yourself
  • Don’t dump rubbish/bulky waste
  • Being respectful

What you can do if your neighbour is causing problems?

We recommend that you speak to your neighbour at an early stage about anything they are doing that may be affecting you. This is often the quickest and easiest solution.

• Tips on approaching your neighbour
  • Talk to your neighbour ‘face to face’ if possible
  • Choose a time that is best for everyone (e.g. avoid meal times or late at night)
  • Plan what you are going to say beforehand
  • Be polite and explain the problem and how it is affecting you
  • Listen to what they have to say as they may have a reasonable explanation
  • Be understanding of different ways of life
  • Be open to suggestions for resolving the problem
  • Come to an agreement that everyone is happy with

• Try not to...
  • Approach your neighbour if you do not feel safe. If you fear they could become aggressive then it’s best not to approach them
  • Go round when you feel angry or very upset about the problem
  • Be argumentative or use threatening behaviour. This can escalate matters into something far worse than the problem you first started with

If you feel you cannot approach your neighbour yourself, contact us and we will consider what your options may be to assist you.

If the behaviour escalates to ASB, we will deal with it under our ASB procedures. We can also put you in touch with other agencies that will give you advice and support.

Advice on being a good neighbour

Below is some guidance on different ways you can strive to be a good neighbour.

• Parking
  Unless you have a designated parking bay or driveway, most people like to park their cars on the road outside their own home for convenience.

   

  However, due to the volume of cars on the road and limited parking available, it isn’t always possible to park outside your home.

   

  • Show consideration and regard to other residents when parking your vehicle
  • Recognise that no one has an automatic right to park directly outside their home. The law allows anyone to park on a public highway as long as the vehicle is taxed and the Highway Code is followed
  • Do not block entrances, or park at dropped kerbs, or outside garages, or in a way that prevents wheelchair users and prams from using the pavement. Also, do not block access for emergency services.

   

  The Vale of Glamorgan Council will take action in respect of abandoned vehicles and nuisance parking (e.g. parking outside designated bays, vehicles left to advertise their sale, or carrying out repairs or maintenance on a road).

• Noise

  As part of everyday living, and the fact that no home is totally soundproof, we all have to 

  expect some noise from the people living around us.

   

  Common everyday living noise includes TV’s and stereos, DIY, dogs barking, intruder or car alarms, slamming doors or simply walking around the property.

   

  • Recognise that your neighbours do not want to hear noise from your home, particularly late at night, or for long periods
  • Keep noise (e.g. from the TV, stereo, radio) at a reasonable level at all times of day
  • Noise carries through walls, floors and doors. Laminate flooring (particularly in flats), and other hard surfaces, can amplify noise. To help reduce it, put down rugs and fit felt or rubber pads to movable furniture
  • Warn your neighbours if you are going to do anything noisy (e.g. having a party or doing DIY)
  • Co-operate with your neighbours if they ask you to reduce noise. For example, you can position your TV or stereo away from the walls you share with your neighbours.

   

  If you are affected by noise you can report it to Shared Regulatory Services (SRS).

• Communal areas

  You may share communal areas with your neighbours, such as staircases, balconies, corridors, lifts or fire exits.

   

  • Do not block communal areas with prams, bicycles or your other personal belongings
  • If you have a communal bin area, dispose of your rubbish correctly in the bins, and make sure the area around the bins is kept tidy
  • If you have any bulky household items that you no longer want, you can book a bulky waste collection
  • If you share a communal door, make sure it’s always kept closed and you don’t let anyone in you don’t know. This way everyone’s homes are kept secure
  • Do not allow main entrance doors to slam shut, especially at night, as this is a common source of noise complaint.

• Garden

  If you have a garden it can be a cause of problems if it’s not cared for properly.

   

  • Do not allow your garden to become overgrown and unkempt. Keeping it tidy and free of rubbish helps improve the look of the area. Where gardens look neglected they can sometimes encourage fly-tipping
  • If your neighbours trees or hedges are a problem, you may be able to prune or remove anything that comes over to your side of the boundary as long as you offer any clippings back to your neighbour. But, some trees are protected and it’s best to check first with your neighbour before you take any action
  • If you are elderly or disabled and unable to maintain your garden, contact us and we will consider what action to take

   

  Many people enjoy seeing wildlife in their gardens, such as foxes, squirrels and badgers, but some people see these as a nuisance.

   

  If you wish to discourage wildlife from your garden then you need to restrict access to any food supplies they have, remove any possible places of shelter, and deter them from coming in.

   

  For information and advice you could contact the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999.

   

• Bonfires

  There isn’t a law that says you cannot have a bonfire in your garden but the main cause of annoyance from bonfires is the smoke.

   

  • Let your neighbours know that you plan to have a bonfire and see if you can agree an acceptable date and time
  • Choose the time of day and weather conditions that will cause the least inconvenience to neighbours
  • Do not light a bonfire if your neighbour has washing out, or if their windows are open, or they are using their garden
  • Do not light the bonfire close to your neighbours’ property to prevent the risk of the fire spreading
  • Instead of having a bonfire you could consider other methods of disposing of rubbish, such as using Household Waste Recycling Centres or composting garden waste.

• Children Playing

  No one wants to stop children playing outside, as it’s healthy and a good way to get regular exercise.

   

  • Sometimes children playing ball games in the street can cause concern for neighbours that their cars might get accidentally damaged. Be aware of this and consider if there is a safer place to play
  • Consider how the noise of children playing outside may affect your neighbours
  • Think about other places more suitable to play, such as a park or a skateboard area
  • If a child throws a ball into your property accidentally, you should either hand it back or allow it to be collected. Withholding balls can lead to neighbour disputes.

   

  If children harass, intimidate or disturb others, then complaints are justified and parents must be reasonable in their response.

• Being a responsible dog owner

  Dogs are great companions but to keep a dog you should contact us first to check you are allowed one.

   

  • If you are allowed a dog, make sure it doesn’t whine or bark for long periods of time
  • If your dog fouls in a public space, you should clean it up
  • Keep your dog under control at all times. Use a lead when walking the dog. Dogs running around freely, particularly on the streets or in communal areas, can be intimidating for other people
  • Behaviour classes help to teach your dog to be obedient and get them used to being around other dogs
  • Get your dog micro-chipped so it can be traced back to you if it ever goes missing