Neighbour disputes
If your neighbour’s behaviour is violent or threatening, always contact the police (external link).
If you, or anyone else, is in immediate danger call 999.
A dispute with your neighbour can be distressing. But your neighbour is often unaware they’re disturbing you or causing distress.
In the first place, let them know they’re disturbing you. You could do this by talking or writing to them.
Talk to your neighbour
If you feel comfortable doing so, talking to your neighbour is always a good place to start.
Explain to them what the problem is and how they can solve it.
It’s important to only talk to your neighbour when you feel calm. Don’t talk to your neighbour if you’re feeling angry, as things can quickly get out of control.
If you don’t feel comfortable talking to you neighbour, you could write to them instead.
Write to your neighbour
A ‘Dear neighbour’ letter is a polite note you can give to your neighbour or put through their letterbox. It says what behaviour is disturbing you and asks them to stop.
You can print and complete our Dear neighbour letter (PDF, 58KB) template. If you don’t have a printer, you can copy it onto a piece of paper.
Contact your neighbour’s landlord
If you know your neighbour’s landlord, you could contact them and see if they can help. The landlord could be a housing association.
Other ways to resolve a dispute
If you’ve spoken or written to your neighbour and the problem hasn’t stopped, you can:
- find further information on how you can resolve a neighbour dispute on GOV.UK (external link)
- get practical advice from Citizens Advice (external link)
- report it to us