Is your neighbour’s behaviour driving you crazy?

The Team from Citizens Advice Christchurch Area

Is your neighbour’s behaviour driving you crazy? Before you start a neighbourhood war, put your diplomat’s hat on and have a nice talk with them.

“When it comes to problems with neighbours, a touch of diplomacy can go a long way.” says Neil Lancaster of Citizens Advice Bureau. “Whether you’re being kept awake every night by noisy neighbourhood parties, their tree is blocking your sun, or the dog from next door uses your lawn as a toilet – it’s always best to discuss the problem with your neighbour first and try to come to a compromise. They may not even know there’s a problem, and be quite willing to sort it out. When we see people with “problem neighbours”, we usually ask whether they’ve tried talking to them. If they have and it hasn’t been successful, we can help them work out where they stand with their particular situation and what their options are.”

If you’ve tried negotiating with your neighbour and they won’t budge, you may have to consider taking further action – and you’ll need to know what your rights are if you do. For example, when it comes to neighbourhood noise, you can contact your local council to find out what (if any) noise restrictions apply in your area. If you complain to your local council they can send a noise control officer to assess the situation. They can issue a notice asking the neighbour to reduce the noise if it’s deemed excessive or unreasonable, and non-compliance could result in confiscation of the noise-making equipment (such as a stereo or jackhammer).

Similarly, if you are bothered by constant barking from a neighbour’s dog, you can complain to your council and they can send a dog control officer to investigate. But try to work it out with the dog owner first, because drastic action (such as having the dog removed by a dog control officer) is sure to ruin any goodwill that you might have with your neighbours.

“If you have a problem with something that your neighbour is doing, and you haven’t been able to sort it out by talking to them, come and see us at Ara (CPIT), Fendalton Library and Hornby Library. You could also phone us for free from cell phone on 0800 367 222, or send us an email. We also have information about neighbourhood problems on our website www.cab.org.nz...