Resolving neighbour disputes

If your neighbour’s behaviour is violent or threatening, contact the police – or call 999 if you or anyone else is in immediate danger.

Disputes with your neighbour can be distressing – but your neighbour might be unaware they’re disturbing you or causing distress.

First, let them know they’re disturbing you. You could do this by talking or writing to them.

If you feel comfortable, try talking to your neighbour. Explain what the problem is and how they can solve it.

It’s important to only talk to your neighbour when you feel calm. It's best not to talk to them if you’re feeling angry.

If you do not feel comfortable talking to you neighbour, you could write to them instead.

A ‘Dear neighbour’ letter is a polite way of telling them what behaviour is disturbing you and asking them to stop.

You can copy and use our template text for a letter to your neighbour:

Dear neighbour

I’m sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to let you know that on [date] at [time] I was disturbed by noise that I believe came from your property.

It sounded like [say what you think the sound was – for example, a dog barking or people shouting].

I’m sure you were not aware this might have caused a problem. I do hope it can be avoided in future so we can all enjoy living in our homes.

Thank you so much for your cooperation.

Kind regards

If you know your neighbour’s landlord, you could contact them and see if they can help. The landlord could be a housing association.

If you’ve spoken or written to your neighbour and the problem has not stopped, you can:

Part of: Dealing with antisocial behaviour