ON GOING ASB NEIGHBOUR FROM HELL - what can i realistically do?

[kylieko1978]

I’m looking for advice from anyone who has dealt with serious neighbour-related antisocial behaviour or a housing association that has failed to act effectively.

I’m a leaseholder in a converted house, and the upstairs flat is occupied by a housing association tenant. For almost a year, I’ve experienced repeated late-night parties, loud music, deliberate banging and stomping, shouting, door slamming and noise continuing into the early hours. I have extensive recordings and a dated incident log.

The situation escalated when I was verbally threatened by my neighbour and her partner. I reported this to the police and have a crime reference number. There have also been incidents involving abusive shouting outside my bedroom window and banging on my door.

The communal entrance door was repeatedly slammed and became badly damaged. An engineer attended and confirmed the damage, filmed it and installed a temporary lock, but the door has still not been properly replaced. This has made me feel especially unsafe because the neighbour appears to have numerous visitors coming and going.

The housing association issued a verbal tenancy warning on 1 July and a written warning on 16 July, but the behaviour continued. My case was previously closed without telling me, leaving me unable to submit reports for a period. My caseworker then left the organisation without informing me or arranging a proper handover, and several of my emails went unanswered.

The situation is severely affecting my sleep, mental health, work and ability to feel safe in my own home. I have now applied for an ASB Case Review/Community Trigger, contacted the council’s ASB team and local councillors, and asked the housing association to consider an injunction.

Has anyone successfully dealt with a similar situation? Should I now speak to a solicitor about seeking an injunction myself, pursue statutory noise nuisance action through the council, or make a formal complaint to the Housing Ombudsman? I want to start a family soon but shes ruining me!!!

I don't have any experience I'm afraid, but didn't want to read and run. Hopefully someone will be along soon with something helpful for you. I'm so sorry you're going through this xx

x

thank you for your kindness. i appreciate you for even replying xx

Had similarly shit neighbours in a semi, them HA we owed. On top of everything you’ve listed we had drug dealing and other illegal activity going on, they were raided twice by armed police and various household members arrested and charged for drug and weapon crimes. Eventually after 3 full years of antisocial behaviour the HA worked with the police took them to court and got an injunction for 5 years with power of arrest. They stopped for a short time then started back up, they are now all in prison for contempt of court (breaking the injunction) and the original drug/weapon charges, there is now a young family living in the house and our lives are very much improved.
My best advice would be report every single thing via email so there is record to the HA, become the biggest pain in arse and let them know you find it highly unacceptable and won’t continue to live like this.

Sounds like you're already well on it - good for you and sorry you're dealing with this.

Personally, I'd consider a money claim online too (against the neighbour). Doesn't have to be a silly amount, maybe £50 per disrupted sleep / anti-social event and once served with this info, it could help them decide not to make it worse. Even if you stuck with a small, set amount: just having a CCJ and court fees too would be enough to help make them visible to others as problem tenants and give them reason not to repeat this behaviour elsewhere.

Get legal advice, send a letter before claim etc. See if it lights a fire. If they're intelligent, they'll realise how it could impact them.

Oh no how awful. Have you tried contacting your MP? I would also write to the HA and quote your right to quiet enjoyment of your property. Whilst this isn't exactly what that means there was a court case that I think stated that if the landlord knows and does nothing about it they are liable.

I do hope it gets resolved soon.

Do you know any hard people?
It sounds like it’s gone so far with their anti social and threatening behaviour that they might understand a taste of their own medicine.

MP detailing what you have said here

What a nightmare for you. Keep on doing what you’re doing and, as suggested, write to your MP.

Go to environmental health at your local council.

Bought our first downstairs flat, idiot upstairs also privately owned. We got on well to begin with, then he lost his job through drink/drugs and became an absolute pita. We asked very politely if he’d turn the music down one night, he punched me in the face. He played music so loud it was distorted 7pm-7am for a year, threw his gf across the flat regularly.

The neighbour who’d lived there forever moved. We sold, full disclosure to the agent, the buyer didn’t care! I can only hope he’s dead/in prison forever. He made our life hell, despite numerous calls to the police/EH.

I’m afraid to say that my advice is to move. I’ve been away from that situation for 24 years and any noise at night makes me anxious. We’re moving to the middle of nowhere soon.

Yes - and also appropriate to ask your local councillor for help. If you speak to them about the issues so far, and let them know you have reported via the council, they should be able to escalate/move the case along for you.

It sounds awful; really hope you can get it sorted soon!

Many years ago, i had a HA flat in small block for teachers, they moved in a woman who used drugs and did prostitution....all went wobbly, noise, fights etc,so about 8 of us clubbed together and hired a solicitor who wrote to the housing manager. We eventually all got compensation and rent refunds and some were offered flats or houses elsewhere, the problem tenant wasnt touched and still in block. I left and bought a place, this was over 20 years ago, not sure if the HA are still reluctant to deal with problem tenants..??

I really feel for you reading what you are going through. I've been through it twice in 2 different housing association houses, the nightmare neighbours were housing association too. I can imagine how you are feeling as 4 years later despite buying a detached house and moving to a different area I still feel panicky and sick when I think of it, it really impacts on your mental health.

The first time I kept logs and the housing association tried to do mediation but the neighbours still played music and banged around till all hours. I then moved to a different housing association in another area and initially had a lovely neighbour for the first few years, until she died and the next people to move in used to bang and scream and slam doors on purpose till all hours. And I know it was on purpose as my friends wife sat and watched them glaring at my house while repeatedly slamming their front door. I know it wasn't in retaliation for anything I'd done though as I used to purposefully be as quiet as possible, including tiptoeing round my house in the hope they'd think I was out so they would be quiet - which I know sounds ridiculous. I also ended up with a ln ear infection as I started to wear earplugs constantly. The one thing that did help, which someone on here recommended was a white noise machine which I used to keep on at a high volume.

I really hope that this gets sorted for you soon and you don't have to live like this as no one should have to put up nightmare neighbours, there should be more laws around this as it's surprising how many horrible neighbours are out there when you speak to people about it. It's also a shame they can't all be put somewhere to live together away from people who just want a peaceful life.

holy crap, that is so so awful. im glad your situation was resolved. That sounds are such an unsafe situation to be in. thank you i have to advocate myself and apply as much as pressure as i can. They simply dont care otherwise!xx

thank you! I have been trying my best to try and get things even a tiny bit improved however my neighbour simply does not want to improve. Expecting someone like that. to improve would mean she would need a whole new personality. I dont think i can go down the route of a CCJ as she does not have much at all. Shes on assured tennacy with the HA and im sure the council pays for her rent. She also doesnt work, or pay her council tax, water bill and her prepayment meter continuously beeps into emergency funds. This is a person who doesnt have much in life and behaves in a negative way to society. Ive tried my best to help her too but some people simply wont change esp bc shes double my age!

thank you for your reply! yes my councillor and MP have been intouch with myself and the HA to apply pressure. However, the HA is poorly managed and lacks competence. They are at serious fault for poor safeguarding and maladministration.

This is awful advice. You can’t do a money claim for that. You’ll just waste your fee.

Been here unfortunately. Now moved.

Pull the community trigger. Use this website for advice https://asbhelp.co.uk/ utilise The a caseworker at council.

Go through landlords complaints procedure and then go to the ombudsman.

oh my im so sorry lovely. i can literally hear the pain through your words. ASB can really impact your mental health and livelihood. It bloody sucks that you've been through it twice and i can imagine the damage it has caused you. wish the law protected people like us. xx

thank you for your reply! I am now seriously considering moving - my relationship has broken down, my mental health, livelihood and work have deteriorated.

Last friday i pulled the community trigger and i will be going to the housing ombudsman when I receive my stage 2 complaint from my HA. i dont have high hopes as they are incredibly inept and incompetent.
xx

www.gov.uk/guidance/anti-social-behaviour-asb-case-review-also-known-as-the-community-trigger

thank you for your reply! Good for you for advocating for yourselves and fighting. I'm not sure why the HA is being so slow and incompetent because i have sent them countless of emails and evidence and have had my MP and councillors try to apply pressure.

Cross posted.

Why isn't your MP helping if you have contacted them?

thank you for your reply!

This just gives me a little bit of hope in this dark minded mindset im currently in ( due to lack of sleep and fear).

I am seriously considering selling and moving elsewhere. its just heartbreaking that i saved my life earnings trying to find a home to now having to live because of a cruel despicable human being. xx