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Help with nightmare neighbour

6 replies

OverlyFragrant · 11/07/2025 16:02

So I'm a social housing tenant, living in my flat on my own on the 3rd floor of a 4 floor block.
On my landing there's 3 flats either side. I'm on the end, and next to me is a man who also lives alone and has been nothing but trouble since I moved in. I have to pass his front door to enter and leave the building.

Things like stealing parcels, music playing, banging on walls randomly (and i don't mean for DIY, literally fists on walls, banging) and throwing items over his balcony which then fall on the balconies below (2 weeks ago his kitchen bin, complete with rotten rubbish went over) risking the residents underneath. He's also stood on his balcony shouting racist abuse and threatening to kill people.

It appears he has severe mental health needs, and when his episodes are bad gets committed for a period of time, takes his meds before coming back and eventually stopping taking them, smoking his weed and the cycle repeats.

Things were really bad a few years ago when he got in his head that I was his girlfriend and approached me many times asking for sex, the man's over 6ft5, built like a brickhouse, and really bloody scary. He ended up climbing onto my balcony and entering my home once, which led to me fleeing, calling them police. He told them I was his girlfriend and the police marked it down as a domestic (wtf!!). I was on the phone to the police everyday and the council, logging everything from him waiting at his door for me to leave to hammering on my door at 3am asking for a key (I do not and have never had a key for his door). The police ended up apologising to me for that one as errors recording my calls meant they were marking my calls as coming from another neighbour so they never came to my door when I was asking for help. Thankfully, hes largely left me alone since then but still has his episodes when things go over the balcony, he slams his fists on the walls all night long and is genuinely an antisocial wanker.
Last night he started up at 2am and didn't finish until 5.30. The whole block was awake and hearing him having an episode. I called noise line, and ambulance shortly after it began as previously advised by the council. The noise people never answered and the ambulance came at 6am when he had left, presumably to pick up more drugs. He's just been removed in an ambulance with the police attending. To say I am exhausted today is the understatement of the century. The state of anxiety I have knowing I'm living next to him, which then ramps up every time he has an episode, coupled with lack of sleep and noise nuisance which is not good for anyone's health.

The council seem to be protecting him, and giving his mental health as an excuse to literally do nothing. They keep saying they have addressed my concerns directly with him, but nothing changes. Anyone else would have evicted long time ago. I genuinely fear for my safety and I'm getting tumbleweed.

What to do next. I have already placed measures to stop him being able to climb onto my balcony but that was an my initiative and my expense. The council literally have done fuck all.

OP posts:
Elderflower14 · 11/07/2025 16:06

Contact your MP....

youreactinglikeafunmum · 11/07/2025 16:08

I'd go to the press tbh 🥺 - how terrifying for you x

PinkPauline · 11/07/2025 16:19

That’s terrible @OverlyFragrant your nerves must be in shreds. I agree with @youreactinglikeafunmum the council should be named and shamed in the press. Would any of your other neighbours support you in this? You shouldn’t have to deal with this on your own. Isn’t that how that monster in Nottingham who killed those students and that poor man started? He was trying to gain entry to people’s properties I believe. I honestly don’t know why secure mental hospitals were largely done away with. These people need to be locked up.

OverlyFragrant · 11/07/2025 17:32

I do worry he is going to seriously hurt someone. Could be me or any of my other neighbours.

The thing is, the council won't do anything. The police are powerless until he actually commits a crime and mental health services are practically non-existant.

Quite why the police haven't arrested him for any of the crimes committed that have been reported is beyond me.

OP posts:
Autonomouse · 11/07/2025 17:55

I hate to say this but as terrible as your experience has been OP, I seriously doubt you're the only one who has to live next to someone with severe MH.
This must be so terrifying for you; that is no a way to live.
You can go to your MP but I also think alerting the press would be another thing you could do.
Problems often get resolved or at least taken note of when dreadful living conditions are exposed and go public.
Those who can make the changes in conditions that are universally unacceptable don't like when the public takes notice, and would likely be more inclined to take action.

Aldiisnodifferenttowaitrose · 11/07/2025 18:15

Stick notes under all your other neighbours door asking them to meet you at X cafe to discuss flat 4's behaviour. Meet up and make a plan together. I would suggest things like every single resident arranging to ring the council on the same day so they are bombarded with calls, every resident emailing your MP on the same day etc.

It doesn't sound like he's doing it on purpose but that doesn't make the behaviour any easier. He needs more support and he'll only get that by constant hounding of the right people.

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