Report a neighbourhood nuisance

Speak to your neighbours first

More often than not, the person or business is not aware that they are creating a problem for others. We would encourage you to speak to your neighbour directly when problems arise. In many cases, things can be resolved between neighbours without needing to complain to the council.

We appreciate that this is not always possible or you may have tried but the problem has continued. If your neighbour is a tenant, you could try talking to their landlord or housing association. You could also use a mediation service if raising the issue informally doesn't work.

If you are unable to resolve the matter amicably, we can investigate statutory nuisances.

Please note: We are unlikely to deal with a one-off situation in a formal way unless the nuisance is particularly significant or is affecting a large number of households.

How we deal with statutory nuisances

• We will investigate to establish if it can be classified as a statutory nuisance
• We normally try to visit to assess the situation ourselves at it happens, so please report any ongoing nuisances
• We will check any updates you give us about the situation
• We may serve an Abatement Notice on the people causing the nuisance
• The person responsible may be fined in a Magistrates' Court

We will need your contact details so we can visit you to prove that the nuisance is significantly impacting on you, and so we can keep you updated. We will protect your identity from the person you are complaining about, unless you give us your permission to tell them who made the complaint.

For more information, please read our step by step guide to reporting a neighbourhood nuisance.