Problems with your neighbours

There are several types of problems that you may experience in your neighbourhood. You may have noisy neighbours, or you may be experiencing verbal abuse or threats from someone in your area. The nuisance may not even be caused directly by people; it could be an overgrown garden which is interfering with your enjoyment of your home, or it could be a local building which you think is dangerous.

If you are having these kinds of problems where you live, there are a number of things that you can do to address the situation.


Noisy Neighbours

If you have a problem with noisy neighbours, there are several courses of action you can take depending upon the seriousness of the problem. For further information, visit our section on Noise nuisance.


Anti-Social Behaviour

Anti-social behaviour describes any form of activity that affects the quality of life in your community. It covers such things as crime, racial and other harassment, physical violence, noise, verbal abuse, threatening behaviour, and vandalism.

You can find further information on anti-social behaviour in our sections on:

If you feel that you are in danger and need help urgently please contact Northumbria Police.


Concerns with the upkeep of someone else’s property

You can contact the Public Safety and Regulation Team confidentially if you are worried about someone else’s property. This may be because you have concerns about their poor living conditions for example, a large amount of clutter in or around their home, pests, noise nuisance, unsafe electrics or fire risks.


Worried about your property being affected by someone else’s?

You may be worried about your neighbour’s property if its poor condition is affecting your home or putting you at risk. This could be because it is a fire or health hazard or there may be noise problems or pests.

Worried about someone else’s health or safety because of their house?

You may be worried about a friend or neighbours living conditions because it may be damaging their health or putting them in danger.

The Public Safety and Regulation team will assess what the problems are and can take action to make sure the house is safe to protect the resident and/or their neighbours. They can also make referrals to other services such as Social Services if the person needs extra support. They can issue an enforcement notice on the landlord or the home owner if they are unable to carry out the work themselves.


Other Neighbourhood Problems

Students

If you are having problems with your neighbours and you think that they may be students, you can contact either of the local universities. They will check this out for you.

  • Newcastle University Accommodation Office Telephone number 0191 208 5293
  • Northumbria University Accommodation Office Telephone number 0191 227 4209

The university responsible will investigate the problem and will keep you informed. In certain circumstances, university regulations may be used, although liaison and mediation will usually resolve the problem. Landlords are now required to have an Anti-Social Behaviour Policy for their properties and this will be included in any investigation.


Other problems with your neighbourhood

You may experience other problems in your neighbourhood, which, although not immediately threatening, can be annoying and are things that you can do something about.

Examples of such problems are:

  • trees overhanging your property
  • parked cars on the pavement
  • disputes over the upkeep of shared amenities
  • concern over planning permission and the change of use to a property that is next to yours

If you are experiencing problems like these, it is better to seek advice first before starting any action. You can read more about what to do and who to contact in Age UK’s factsheet Anti-social behaviour in housing.


Other Useful Information

  • Community Housing Offices provide advice and support to council tenants. Contact your local housing office for support with anti social behaviour.
  • Newcastle Conflict Resolution Network are a group of Newcastle Quakers and others who are willing to give their time and energy to help to create strong and safe communities in the city. Their aims are to help prevent, reduce and resolve actual or potential destructive conflict; to support those involved in doing so; and to make a difference.
  • Victims First can help you if problems with your neighbours are causing you emotional distress. Victims First is a charity for people affected by crime. It is an independent organisation, offering a free and confidential information and support service, whether or not a crime has been reported to the police.
  • Victim Support are an independent charity giving free and confidential support to people affected by crime and traumatic events across England and Wales.
  • Fearless.org provides non-judgemental information and advice about crime. You can send information about a crime anonymously using their website. It educates and empowers young people about crime, allowing them to feel Fearless when speaking up against crime.

Last updated: June 10, 2021