How Big a Problem Are Problem Neighbours?

Author: Sarah Clark

Everyone’s worst fear when moving into a new neighbourhood is that they could end up with the stereotypical neighbours from hell. That’s hardly surprising when figures released in early 2010 showed that not only did these problem neighbours force a staggering 360,000 people in the UK to relocate to a new home in the previous year, but in some cases the hellish neighbours also managed to knock some property values down by up £30,000.

Sobering Facts and Figures

According to a study of 2,000 homebuyers carried out by Halifax Home Insurance in March 2010:

Nearly 1 in 10 people claim to have moved house because of poor relations with their neighbours.
The number of neighbourhood disturbances has risen by a third in the last two years.
The people next door are a bigger influence on a decision to move house than schools.

The Biggest Complaints

The study also indicated that 1 in 3 neighbours have had some kind of a dispute.

The types of neighbourly behaviour which seem to generate the most complaints, and which are also behind most of the decisions to move house are:

aggressive behaviour (60%)
Noise Pollution
Messy Gardens or property
Neighbours who let their home fall into disrepair (18%)
Neighbours who steal and even excessive nosiness and curtain twitching (12% and 11% respectively)

The True Cost of Bad Neighbours

Frighteningly, it’s estimated that in some cases having Anti-Social Neighbours knocks thousands of pounds off the value of a house. As this is quite enough to stomach, it’s hardly surprising that people who are desperate to move away don’t admit that they have hideous neighbours when they put the place on the market, even though they are legally required to disclose any neighbourhood disputes to the buyers when selling a house. It costs just as much to stay put – around 20% of people said that a neighbour had actually damaged their property.

Noise Pollution

Further to all this, a survey by Which? Legal Service in April 2010 discovered that at least three million UK adults claimed to suffer with noisy neighbours - most of the noise being attributed to loud voices or arguing, music or television. Only 15% said that the problem was regular parties, and thankfully only 3% were troubled by the sound of their neighbours having sex.

General stomping around, noisy pets and DIY, occasional musical instruments and even ball games were rated annoying neighbourly rackets by some people. Only 7% of people who took part in this survey claimed that the noise had been so bad that it had made them move.

The Good News

It’s not all bad though – government figures also showed that the percentage of people reporting a high level of anti-social behaviour in their neighbourhood fell from 17% to 15% in the past year. Six out of the seven indicators for anti-social behaviour have fallen in the past year, and it seems that it’s only noisy neighbours which are on the increase.

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20 Comments (of 104)

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boby 24 Jul 2023

Neighbours moved in 5 years ago and never spoke when i said hello or good morning.I felt they wanted to keep themselves to themselves and left it. I had put a perimeter fence all around garden and they painted their side with pale paint which ran through the panels and so i had to repaint my side.There was agap in the fence and their child would chat to my child through the gap and he was screemed at and told to not talk to my child.When a ball came over my fence i heard the parent say "we dont want it back we might get covid"When they had a second child they gave her the same name as my child which i find really bizarre.They have purchased identical garden furniture.They have same wallpaper (can see from window) same plants put into garden.They park across bottom of my drive even though there is space for 2 cars on their drive. They have a reguar visitor who reversed into my car in an attempt to get as close to the house as possible, raising my car off the ground and snapping reg plate in half. When i asked if they could pull forward to look at damage they became aggressive and swore at me twice,They spit when they see my children, the man urinates and baths in his bathroom without pulling down his bathroom blind which is clearly visible when we are in the garden, he looks and waves!

Intel 3 Jul 2023

From my experience, past and present the problem with neighbours is always down to the same areas, a lack of awareness of their own actions and how they affect others, a lack of respect for others and their property and cars and a lack of self respect in general. Where I live we have landlords buying houses and renting them out to absolute morons, if you watch a film called idiocracy, 2006 Google and you’ll understand the level of people we now get. How can I improve the situation I am in? for starters you cannot argue with stupid people, Secondly most stupid people will resort to violence, threat of violence, intimidation or vandalism, it’s best to say nothing at all avoid any confrontation do not challenge them. Say hello and keep civil to avoid suspicion, but report them to every authority body you can, do not report to the landlord as they have been known to share the complainants details with the person. This will then come back on you. If you have a family kids and a partner if you confront the neighbours it puts them at risk too so think before you act. And remember in your head your “rocky” most fights never play out like this and you can get hurt. Be vigilant and covert.

Sandee 24 Apr 2023

Neighbour moved in next door from building next upstairs,it's became terrible,had this loud friend the visited all the time,was very familiar and loud,nearly a year ago she had her move in utter terrible,but l journled it all,now turned living room in to a bedroom,have their bed right against where my sofa sits,l sit on it occasionally all l get is she is sitting there wish she would move,lve have been called bitch a lot,for months it's been Hutton my surname,it's affecting me,stay in bedroom 24/7 have heard other things,she is a woman same age as me 67 and the other one is early forties had enough of them act like two bad teenagers

Gloworm53 22 Apr 2023

My next door neighbours rear garden has always been a bit unkempt but since having building works done a year ago it looks like someone has fly tipped there! There's part of the old kitchen,sofa,carpet, inflatable hot tub and piles of general detritus and rubble. What's left of the lawn is growing very quickly with no effort to control it . It doesn't look like he's going to clean up any time soon and it's only a matter of time before they have rats and such. To compound the problem his soffits and facias are dangerously rotten and we are worried they may come down onto our property and cars. He's an arrogant, aggressive little tw-- so no one in our once friendly street will attempt to approach him.

Lisa 9 Jun 2022

I have rough neighbours renting a house next door to me in Maidstone, Kent, the man has a big, leased car that takes up two spaces. We paid to turn our front garden into a driveway as I never got a parking space as his car was always in front of my house. The woman's Dad lives 5 minutes walk around the corner, but he always drives to the house next door, (he isn't disabled, as he works as a part-time cleaner). He parks in front of my dropped kerb and blocks my driveway so that I cannot park my car onto my driveway when I get back in the garages. The other week I was waiting for my in-laws to turn up who were going to park on my driveway, but this man came along and park across, I asked him if he was dropping something off or parking there, and he started shouting at me "I will park wherever I want, if I want to park across your driveway all day then I will", he then walked up the path of his daughter's rented house shouting "I pay my road tax, I pay my road tax", I called him a few swear words after this. In the evening I had the daughter (who is around 45 and overweight) and her husband (nearly 70) shouting and screaming at me that I dared to swear at her dad. The man threatened me twice, I was quite calm about it as I have a Ring doorbell and a security camera on my house, which recorded their disgusting behaviour, I have since given some of the recording from the Ring doorbell to their landlord. Whether this will do any good or not who knows, I also reported it to the police and the local councillor.

Peteyshadenough 10 May 2022

If you want to avoid problem neighbours.....never buy next to asians. Indian... Pakistani... Bangladeshi Just avoid like the plague The noise and the entitlement will ruin the enjoyment of your property and they nearly always overextend if they have the money to move several different generations of their family in...and they don't care how it impacts you at all

Devastated 31 Aug 2021

Lived in a terrace, had to make a noise complaint (after talking to them nicely and then not stopping the noise) she was school deputy head, her son in met police, they had family on other side of us, 3 yrs nasty harassment from both sides because of noise complaint, health got so bad through stress, scraped together everything we had to buy a detached, so imagine my horror when new neighbours all winter let alone summer in garden until 4am lighting smelly fires all night, talking loudly, always people staying over, woman in day treats her children so badly I wonder whether to call child support services. Other side so deaf and lives at night, tv so loud that even with windows closed, even though detached and my bedroom not near his side, i hear his tv in my room! so depressed at my bad luck and feel cursed I'm beginning to feel suicidal, they are on my mind constantly that it has become a fear, and a dread in our new home that we spent every last penny on. Why are people so selfish?

JanePlain 5 Aug 2021

We have horrible neighbours that moved in to us. The mother who previously lived there was awful as well. The daughter is frequently drunk and staggering all over the place. Just 17 going on 70. She gossips and slags me off and also upsets my mother who is 80 and in poor health. We tried to be accommodating but unfortunately the bad feeling is such that we just don't want anything to do with them now. She's a nightmare to deal with. Her partner drink drives. We caught it on our CCTV and reported it to the local police. I also had to request a harassment warning be sent to the partner who was staggering and when drunk is abusive to me. They tried to get me convicted for harassment when the partner is like 20st 7 Both are clearly mentally ill. They said the same about me. But let them carry on. I had damage done to my car and after all the behaviour. She abused me when drunk we have it on CCTV from August and again the incident of November where I was alleged to have sworn and did no such thing. We have her builders approaching our delivery driver and our neighbour trying to slag us when they had no business doing so because she can't help herselves. I had to report it as a harassment claim. The builders have since not come back. We have camera's as we don't feel safe living next door to a bipolar woman with alcohol issues and her frequently mentally ill partner. We have had letters for debt sent to us. They started piling for their extension when I had exams. Just cannot stand them. It's really horrible having neighbours like that. And given what Pete says there are two sides to a story. Our next door neighbour is ugly and sounds like a man. He looks like a sumo but both are very passive aggressive feigning the victim. Unfortunately we have it all on camera for nearly a year their behaviour.

Pete 2 Aug 2021

I have a very sad woman next door, who constantly causes trouble and lies all the time. All the above things are included. I think she must be deranged, lonely and unloved because she has few friends or callers. Why she gets pleasure from trouble is a puzzle what with these covid times you think she'd have other things on her mind? Her life is empty- no holidays - no outings - no chores by the looks of it, she doesn't seem to have much in her life except malice which makes her a very sad creature. As for her soul, what soul? Some people are just washed out humans with no hope. Maybe it's her looks, the lack of, I just don't really know! To everyone else be strong. The authorities have completely let down the people when it comes to dealing with this sort of thing, and that's worrying in a democracy.

Raquel 29 Jun 2021

@Feeling powerless. I sympathize some people are just selfish. I'd never want to upset my neighbours and luckily either side are lovely . But newish neighbours opposite have the ..it's my house, my garden I'll do what I like attitude. Had to hear her singing and screeching to bon Jovi and meatloaf and her voice is grating at best of times. My children had to sleep in my bed and now I have to swap rooms so I can put them to bed at a reasonable time . Not listen to them in their hot tub talking loudly. I don't mind a bit of noise but it's ridiculous. She's just brash and wants everyone to hear her. Not just me thats getting annoyed either .

Feeling powerless 16 Jun 2021

Just reported loud music to the landlord she was warned but 2 weeks I get another call from landlord nuisance neighbour has called can't play music or have friends round.. I told the landlord(social housing) my problem has never been who she has in her home or backyard, my problem is loud music from loud speakers.. I get told how it's within the neighbours right to play loud music as long as its within the stipulated times... So how do we get protected from these selfish people? Thinking of involving a lawyer... Been keeping recordings and will continue to do so... Not spoken to the council yet but will certainly do so. Maybe as Asbo would work.

Andi 23 Apr 2021

I have a problem neighbour too, its very distressing. I cannot use my back garden at all. My neighbour has a very small rear garden and has decided to keep bees. At times I have 3 hives up and running. He's bees constantly deficate on my laundry and my car is also covered in excrement. Apparently anyone can put as many hives as they like on their garden and right upto boundary fences. The flight path is over my garden and I mean head height. No chance of sitting out in my garden at all. On top of that he has been encouraging rats, and for a while I had to contend with rats as well as bees. He said he was feeding the birds. Come autumn the bees attract wasps. My neighbour is a real joy.

Hannan 16 Apr 2021

Hello, came across this thread as couldn’t sleep and I also wanted to share our story. Me and my husband bought our 1st house, got married, wanting a family and quiet life. Our neighbourhood is so quiet and we hardly see anyone, as either pensioners or working class people around till lockdown hit and our neighbour next door (single lady in her early 40) started working from home and leaving her german shephard dog barking in the garden from 6am till midnight sometimes 4am I would wake up it barking in the garden. We never expected this from her as she said she worked for government, property is well maintained, clean so it all was a shock to us for her to do that. When we tried to speak to her about it she racially abused us (we are not english) and blamed the barking on everyone else. We have police and council involved but to no resolve as expected we are made feel invisible and not important so we decided to sell the house as our mental health has suffered plus I am heavily pregnant and I cannot raise my 1st baby in this situation. The barking is constant, plus loud metal music is put on as soon as we go in our garden, constant staring and intimidation from her, looking over our fences, it is utterly unbearable and we cannot wait to move out. We just hope the next buyer doesn’t mind the dog barking and that they are english. We feel so heartbroken to have to go back to renting again after so many years of hard work and saving but we value our mental health and our baby’s development that we have no choice as we did not get any support from our neighbours and authorities have always excuses for doing their job. I feel very sorry for all of you and feel for everyone of you and wish that these people get what they deserve at the end... After 17 years living and working (never claimed a penny for anything) in England I would never dream I would be told that I am an illegal immigrant and that my marriage is fake while being pregnant by a woman who feels we do not have right to even breath the same air as we are not english. We are so sad and depressed and if it wasn’t for my husband and his business we would move somewhere in the country with nobody around it is my dream! As I have become so not wanted to see people or have any relation with anyone around. We pray for everyone who is suffering that another door will open for all of us where we can find peace and ourselves again.

Tired 27 Mar 2021

I lived in a rental semi and next door to a punk for 10years, then moved to a quiet terrace only for a lady to move next door 2 years later and wreck the walls so we could hear every little thing. So we moved to a detached. Sadly I was only looking at the house and the school for my son. I wish I’d sat outside the house a lot more as during lockdown the people that back on to us are completely unbearable. Leaf blower most days, basket ball, shouting, I’m sure the kids don’t go to school, music, they leave their dog in a shed quite often and it’s barks into the night. People are scared of them as they aren’t the nicest of people. Think they are the traveler type. We plan to do up the house and move in a couple of years but I feel like we’re going to be trapped. Why do people think it’s ok to be so disrespectful.

Samaritan 14 Feb 2021

Sparkle , my heart goes out to you and your lovely sensitive son . Here are my thoughts , you are obviously an empath who feels for and considers others feelings when in this world there are many who dont and wont . So you must learn to put your son and your family first and ignore this selfish womans remarks . How dare she criticise your son while he is struggling . Be strong , turn away and live your life without a thought for her . Dont let it cause more issues with your boy . He is a sensitive soul who needs much love from you . If she doesnt like it let her move . Much love x

Sparkle 13 Feb 2021

We have lived in our home for 5 years but it was previously owned by my parents. The neighbours have lived there since my parents bought the house 30 years ago. She’s always been a bit of a misery and not what you would call a nice neighbour. They have grown up children who have moved out. We have two children aged 15 and 12. Sadly my mum died several months ago (my children saw her every day) and it was sudden and very traumatic and since then my 12 year old has developed a ‘tic’ which has resulted in him making a barking/throat clearing sound. It is awful and can be constant. We live in a semi detached house and the walls are quite thin. We have been to the GP and he has been referred to CAHMS, Action for Children, etc but we are on waiting lists as they are inundated since the covid pandemic and so many children struggling with their mental health. Our neighbour has knocked to say that she can’t take it anymore and we need to do something about it. What she thinks we can do I don’t know. He doesn’t even know he is doing it half the time. He is so upset and crying now and the best of it is when he is stressed he makes the noise all the more. I feel I don’t want to live here anymore even though it used to be my parents home and we have such lovely memories here (my dad has passed away as well). I don’t think we could afford to move somewhere else as we are in ‘mortgage prison’ so I wonder about selling up and renting? I just can’t believe she has complained, especially when I have told her of his condition that developed since mum died as she asked if we had brought a dog. I’m so angry with myself as we used to live in such a lovely house and area with nice neighbours but moved here as couldn’t bear to see the family house sold to strangers. What a mistake I feel I have made. Any advice?

Bitsy 7 Feb 2021

Like ricky3star we lived in a 3 bed semi for 25 years, the next doors neighbours son was 10 when we moved in,already he was swearing and verbally abusing his parents who were too weak to resolve the situation.Over the years it got worse,when he reached 35 he erected an eyesore of a shed and belted rock music out till 2 am,we couldn't, sleep in the rear bedroom of the house, trying to sort it out with his parents was useless,they,by now in their early 70,s were somewhat fearful of him.Somewhat reluctantly we sold up,fortunately we were in a position to buy a detached house,we are not snobs but the thought of buying another semi and perhaps reliving the nightmare again was too much.We waited years hoping he would move out when he was in his 20.s, it never happened,my advice to anyone in this situation is get out as soon as you can,because 90% of the time it never gets better,only worse,even if you are reasonable and polite in requesting them to be quieter.My only regret is not getting out sooner,concil authorities can sometimes help but in my opinion after you lodge a complaint the guilty parties know they are lowering your quality of life and do it all the more,also it can make it difficult to sell your house,when we moved our estate agent said he couldn't,t sell terraced housing easily anymore because of noise problems,I think noise issues are affecting semi detached housing increasingly now because more and more people seem to care less and less about the pain and suffering they inflict on others.

Moo21 25 Jan 2021

We are at our wits end. Our neighbour is loud, aggressive, volatile etc. We suffer loud music at random times, day and night. She is abusive and threatening and a danger to others. Police, council and housing don't seem to have any control over this. She has numerous offences against her but because she suffers from mental health issues she seems to get away with it. Myself and my partners quality of life and health have suffered enormously. I am scared to even leave the house. We want to sell up and move but would struggle to sell with her next door. We feel so trapped.

Going mad 14 Jan 2021

I had a lovely old guy that moved next door ten years ago. Then a couple moved in with 3 kids in a semi 3 bed house and now have 8 kids and two Rottweiler. My personality has changed and I’m always on edge from the dance music. The guy mends cars he’s outside banging past 9pm. Went to the council twice and now can’t sell my home properly due to these people who have no understanding of how to behave in a decent way to neighbours. They have reduced me to tears on many occasions and the council have to have constant noise these lot are very clever and it’s Radom at different times of the day. It’s hell and no one understands unless they have been there, you end up seen as some crazy fool??

Samaritan 3 Jan 2021

I feel for you all life is torture with bad neighbours , i know ive suffered 3 years until they moved out , the house is now rented to family members who are quiet, but im left with the emotional bruises from the horrendous parties which would go on 12 hours and more . No support from my other neighbours, i dealt with it myself . Anti social team wrote letters but they were ignored . My whole personality has changed thanks to those who own the house attached to mine , i am no longer the smiling neighbour i used to be , at one time i would greet people who lived next door but now i keep my eyes lowered , its best to remain distant , being nice can be seen as being weak , and they abused my nice . My best wishes to you all , i feel for you

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