Sometimes problems with the neighbours go beyond a bit of noise or mess, and the people around you can begin to make your life miserable. This can often start as a result of a previous disagreement, even over something relatively trivial which has been blown up out of all proportion. In some cases, it can blow up out of nowhere and you feel victimised for no reason.

Occasionally, you can even be the victim of discrimination. What ever the situation, personal problems with neighbours can be really unpleasant and take several different forms.

When your Neighbour Spreads Rumours

Gossiping neighbours have always been around, and often you won’t be the only target of the neighbourhood wagging tongues, so ignorance may well be the best option. If a neighbour is spreading persistent nasty or untrue rumours about you, and you find it intolerable, an approach to the offending gossip-monger might be in order. They might be mortified about upsetting you, or at least have the decency to be embarrassed about it. If not, you could Approach A Mediator to try to resolve whatever the issue is between you and your neighbour. In extreme cases, it’s possible to apply to a court for an injunction preventing them from making defamatory statements. This is a last resort though as it’s expensive and often a case of their word against yours.

Violence from your Neighbours

There’s never any excuse for violence, whether it’s an escalation of a dispute, comes out of the blue or is a result of discrimination. If you are a Victim Of A Physically Violent Attack From A Neighbour, you should report it to the police immediately. If a dispute escalates and turns into a fight, you may be able to take legal action against a neighbour if they actually assault you.

Harassment as a Result of Medical Problems

If you’re being harassed by a neighbour who has medical or psychological problems, it might not just be you who is being affected. It’s also worth treading carefully with a case like this – you don’t want to make things worse and you might be able to help them rather than jump in and start shouting about harassment. If they have a regular visitor, it could be worth having a chat with them about the behaviour, and asking if there’s anything they can do.

How to Deal with Personal Problems

In most cases, you don’t want to take legal action against an annoying neighbour; you just want them to stop harassing you or gossiping about you! This is what mediation is all about, a scheme where a neutral third party gets the people involved in a neighbourhood dispute to help to sort out the issues and find a solution. If there’s a community mediation service in your neighbourhood, approach them for advice, as it’s usually free.

Of course, this only works if the neighbours are willing to take part. If your neighbours aren’t willing to actually meet and discuss the problems rationally, a mediator can act as an intermediary and actually pass messages between you instead.

Involving the Authorities

If you are a victim of anti-social behaviour from a neighbour, the local authority can get involved, and you don’t have to be a tenant. They can apply for court orders preventing violent anti-social behaviour, nuisance and threats and may be able to evict the perpetrator(s) if the behaviour continues.

If you are being harassed or treated badly by neighbours due to your race, gender, disability, sexuality or your religion, your local authority has a legal responsibility to protect you.

Involving the Police

The police can take action over neighbours’ anti-social behaviour if they’ve committed a criminal offence. If you’ve been physically attacked, your property has been vandalised, or you’re being threatened, you should definitely Get The Police Involved. If you’re being targeted by discrimination, whether verbal or otherwise, you should also tell the police. The police have to deal with any complaints about anti-social behaviour that arises from discrimination of any kind.