30 Neighbourhood and Community Disputes
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2. What can I do if I have a problem with my neighbours?
There are many things you can do if you are involved in a neighbourhood or community dispute. You can:
- try talking to the neighbours who are complaining about you or causing the problem – see ‘Dealing with matters yourself';
- try mediation – see ‘What is mediation?’;
- contact the police or local authority (depending on the type of problem) – see ‘What if mediation doesn’t work?’; or
- take legal action against the person causing the problem – see ‘Taking a case to court yourself’.
What you choose to do first depends on the problem and the circumstances. Usually, you should consider talking to the person causing the problem. It is quicker, costs less, is less stressful and less likely to do harm to your future relationship with them than involving the police or going to court. However, if you are frightened of how the person might react, you should speak to a local community group, an advice group or the police.
If talking to the person causing the problem does not help, this will not affect your legal rights. You can always go on to make a formal complaint.
3. Dealing with matters yourself
5. What if mediation doesn´t work?
6. What is a ´statutory nuisance´?
7. What if the council won´t help?
8. Taking a case to court yourself
9. What can be done about anti-social behaviour?
10. Acceptable behaviour contracts
11. Anti-social behaviour orders
The leaflets are regularly updated but the law may have changed since they were printed so the information in them may be incorrect or out of date.
Leaflet Version: July 2005