A recent Which? survey found that 27% of people have had
issues with neighbours in the last year. Neighbour disputes can
leave people feeling angry, irritable and stressed. The survey also
found that 64% of people who have experienced problems didn't
know where to go to seek help and advice.
Neighbour disputes can cover a wide range of issues
including:
- Boundary issues
- Parking rights
- Party Wall disputes
- Noise nuisance
- Trees and rights to light
- The use of personal CCTV cameras and
privacy rights
The rights of each party can be difficult to establish and can
change over time. It is not always clear at the outset which
party's view is correct and often the parties become entrenched
very early on as they both genuinely believe they are right. This
can lead to a serious break down in the relationship between
neighbours, sometimes irreparably to the extent that the only
option left to avoid conflict is to move house.
