Neighbour Disputes
Reporting Complaints
Please give the Housing Officer as much information as possible about the problem
including incidents, dates, times, witnesses and names of those involved.
We will treat your complaint confidentially. We will not reveal your identity to
your neighbour or to anyone else at this stage, unless you wish us to do so.
We will then log your complaint on the council's Anti Social Database
and categorise it as follows:
|
Category |
Target / Timescale
|
Some Examples of Types of Complaint |
|
A
|
10 Working Days |
Minor breaches of tenancy, Common areas, Problems with pets, Neglect of garden,
Noise, Access disputes, Litter, Car repairs/parking, Running a business without
permission. |
|
B
|
7 Working Days |
Harassment, breaches of tenancy, Category 'A' complaints which have escalated further. |
|
C
|
24 Hours |
Violence or threatening behaviour, racism, criminal behaviour, drug dealing, child
neglect. |
Please note that it may take longer than indicated above, to deal with your complaint
depending on the individual circumstances of the case.
We will write to you confirming we have received your complaint and enclose a
Personal Record of Incidents Sheet. You can use this sheet to record
any further incidents. It is important that any information entered on this sheet
is accurate, as it can be investigated and may be used as evidence
should the council proceed to court to seek eviction of an alleged anti social tenant.
Contact The Police
In situations where you feel threatened or are being disturbed by excessive noise,
you should contact the Police for advice and assistance. The Police will visit your
neighbour and the call will be officially logged.
You may be given an incident number, which you should note and record on your Personal
Record of Incidents Sheet. The Police will not disclose your name to your neighbour.
You can ask the police not to call at your door after they have visited your neighbour,
if you wish to remain anonymous.
IMPORTANT - You should advise your Housing Officer, EACH
TIME the Police are called. If the Police attend at night, please advise
your Housing Officer the following morning.
I've reported my complaint, what action CAN the council take?
After the Housing Officer has investigated your complaint, and found that it is
justified. We will tell your neighbour that they must stop causing
a nuisance or annoyance to their neighbours.
If your neighbour continues to cause a problem, please inform your Housing Officer,
who will investigate the matter further. If the Housing Officer is unable to resolve the matter, the case may be passed to the Council’s dedicated Anti-Social Behaviour Team for further investigation.
If your neighbour ignores our warnings, we may start legal action against them.
However, in many cases legal action will not be appropriate and we will make
every effort to resolve a dispute without going to court.
In some case we may be unable to take any further action, if for example, there
is no evidence to support your complaint or the behaviour is not a breach of the
tenancy agreement.