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Community Safety Policing Prevention

Neighbour disputes & noise. What should you do?

Unfortunately, disputes between neighbours happen more often than we’d like. So if you are having an issue with a neighbour, what can you do about it?

Humberside Police recently circulated this advice. Share it with your own networks.

What can I do about my noisy neighbours?

It can be frustrating to have noisy neighbours, whether they are playing loud music, having the TV turned up, or have noisy pets.

How much of a problem it is depends on how often the noise occurs and when, as noise during the day may be less of a problem than noise late at night.

Your local council has powers to deal with loud noise at night. With other types of noise, they should investigate if you say it is a nuisance or damaging your health. If the council agree the noise is a ‘statutory nuisance’, they must issue a notice. Statutory nuisance is a legal term and refers to significant or unreasonable noise that stops you from enjoying your property.

A council notice will tell the person what they should do to stop or restrict the noise. They can be prosecuted if they ignore it.

Consider taking these steps:

Try to resolve the problem with your neighbour directly. Noisy neighbours might not actually be aware that other people can hear them. If you feel able to do so, you could approach your neighbour and talk to them about the problem. This may be enough to resolve it. Only do this if you feel comfortable and safe.

Consider mediation services to help you resolve the matter with your neighbour. A mediator is an independent person who can help both sides come to an agreement. Some councils and housing associations provide free mediation services to their tenants or you can search for a mediator online through the Ministry of Justice.

Contact your landlord, your neighbour’s landlord or your local council. If you are not sure which council department to contact, talk to the Environmental Health team to begin with. They should investigate and decide what course of action they can take.

If you can’t resolve the problem yourself and local agencies are involved, then please avoid one another as best as you can in order to prevent anything escalating.

More information

North East Lincolnshire Council has a page of information about noise disturbance on their website here https://www.nelincs.gov.uk/keeping-our-area-clean-and-safe/nuisance-behaviour/noise-problems/

National guidance is here https://www.gov.uk/how-to-resolve-neighbour-disputes

There is a page of guidance on the national ASBHelp website here: https://asbhelp.co.uk/noise-2/

Information circulated by Humberside Police July 2022