“What do you expect living on a council estate”

[Sukiez]

Is the reply I got from a friend when I moaned to her about my neighbours. Basically me, my dh and 2 dc moved to a new house in April and although the area itself is ok, picture a small estate, lots of trees, a park round the corner and an allotment that the elderly people in the street set up for everyone to work on including the kids as they have chickens and a veggie patch. But as is the case in a lot of areas private rented, owned or council, you often get a few inconsiderate neighbours who spoil things for other people.

So, we are in a semi detached house and there are rows of them around our street. The neighbours next door but one on both sides are lovely, they make an effort to talk to you, their kids seem nice and you don’t hear much noise from them. Then you have people like those who are adjoined to us, the ones across from us and the ones directly at the back of us.

The neighbours adjoined to us are, putting is a nicely as I can, an absolute nightmare. Living there are a couple and their two teenage/adult sons. The couple are either arguing all the time (with their windows and doors open) or pissed out of their heads partying loudly in their garden declaring their undying love for each other. The dad and older son also smoke weed which we can often smell in our house. The neighbours across from us and at the back party almost every weekend. I don’t begrudge anyone enjoying themselves but this isn’t just a few people having fun playing a bit of low level music, oh know, it’s full on partying screaming shouting you name it. The ones across from us have 4 or 5 kids who play out in the street and they are huge trouble makers. They have upset my dd a few times calling her names and regularly cause trouble with the other kids who play out.

Now AIBU to think that this type of behaviour from these sort of people isn’t simply because of the fact we all live in council houses? We previously lived on a very big council estate, I’m talking years back now but we lived there for quite a long time and we didn’t experience anything like we are right now. We finally managed to save a deposit and moved into private rented but it became unaffordable for us. We know we are lucky to have a permanent home but my anxiety has gone though the roof since we moved here as I just can’t relax with all the noise, partying, kids screaming, adults shouting etc. I want to move but my dh insists we should stay as we have worked hard on the house to make it nice which has taken a lot out of us financially emotionally etc. I don’t want to have to move my dc again but I don’t think I can life like this much longer.

varies..years ago i had a council flat on Bell st, central london...old small block...lovely neighbours...we were all rehoused as block was crumbling..i ended up in a fab flat in brixton with roof terrace etc but neighbour below was awful...parties and noise each night...i gave it back when i bought a house but neighbour is still in the block...30 years later...they cant seem to get her out !!

Oops. misquoted above by accidenr t will try again

Lived in a mixed council/ex-council house area. Some weed smell, occasional Loud parties, some rude people across the road - but mainly complaining if there is noise during day time from washing cars etc. But generally people get on fine. they were reasonable when we had building work done. Try and get on with life and mind their own business.

Relatives have some really fussy private owner neighbours though - so don’t necessarily think it’s a council thing house.

My DS has just moved into a privately owned apartment. Luckily he is on the second floor as the residents on the ground floor are unable to use their outside space (which cost extra of course) due to some individual's anti-social behaviour. It is appalling as most of the ground floor owners went for the option of a garden, albeit small, because they have DC or pets. As it is a new build there was no way the owners could anticipate how badly some people would behave.
No one, in any type of housing, should feel unsafe where they live.

Council estate here. Mostly elderly people who've been here donkeys years or young single mums keeping themselves to themselves. In my experience if you're given a council house you want to keep it and tenancies don't become permanent now for ages (mine is 9 years) so you behave.

Most noise we ever get is a little kid with a squeaky stabiliser riding up and down for 10 minutes.

The last two places be lived have been a student area which was UNBELIEVABLY loud with vomit, drug bags, fat butts and dog poop on the ground. And a new build estate with loads of grim TOWIE types rowing, partying, driving massive cars in and out all day.

Oops Fag* butts not fat butts. Mine was the fattest butt on the street

You only have to read the neighbour threads on here to realise that neighbours can be dreadful anywhere.

I’ve read many posts on here about people having bad neighbours in big, lovely, privately owned homes.
I’ve always lived in council houses and most neighbours are friendly and considerate.
The only reason council homes get a bad rep is because they’re used to rehouse homeless people, criminals, refugees etc which people assume are the ones that are going to be bad neighbours but it’s not often the case.

Neighbours can be a nightmare anywhere but IME a council estate is much more likely to have higher levels of ASB than a private area. I grew up in a CE and I would never want to live in one again.

Anti-social behaviour and criminality is higher on council estates, obviously there will be better areas etc but the circumstances of some people on council estates will differ from those living in private rented/owned properties and this in turn may influence their lifestyle choices. I work a lot on council estates and there is good and bad everywhere but stereotypically I’d say poor behaviour is more expected there because of some peoples circumstances. FWIW I’m no snob, I lived on council estates until the age of 19 and it was fine though there was a lot of alcohol use, substance use, criminality, fighting on the council estates that my friends lived on at the time. I live in my own house now, on my street there is a 3 year parking war going on between the neighbours (no involvement for us) and the guy a few doors down smokes Cannabis. You get good and bad everywhere, it’s luck of the drawer

It’s the luck of the drawer - we are in a large detached newish house so therefore the gardens are tiny and there’s not much space between houses. Next door have four adult children living there - it’s a real pain with cars for each family member, constant DIY. Both DH and I would move in a shot but it’s so expensive to move we’re torn. Personally I’d feel that I’d failed as a parent having four adult children still at home 🤷‍♀️ Go and live your lives FFS, there’s a whole world out there!!
OP Your friend sounds unkind and sorry for your neighbour woes

I grew up on a council estate. It was truly awful. I was fortunate enough to leave as a young adult and now live in a lovely village with a real sense of community. It took years for me to be able to get my parents off the estate and it took a toll on the health of both of them. I know not all council tenants are difficult and not all home-owners are good neighbours but experiences have shaped my choices for my children. I would not want them to grow up where I did.

I wouldnt say it's a council estate problem!

I'd say however, that noise and antisocial behaviour tend to be a bigger issue where housing is terraced, semi detached or flats. Simply because proximity, shared communal gardens and shared walls mean you are possibly more aware of it.
Put it this way. There's a lady lives a couple of roads over from me who throws quite big noisy parties, where the behaviour is..... mixed. You can't even hear it from my house, simply because her road is massive houses on huge plots with a lot of trees around all the gardens and the sound just doesn't carry.

Council housing almost never includes detached houses on bigger plots because its not very cost effective as a way to house people.

Of course it's much more likely when you're on a council estate. This is just a fact, though unpalatable to hear out loud I appreciate. Your friend is just saying what most people would be thinking.

OP, please start recording the nuisance in diary sheets and also recordings if you can. You may not want to do anything at the moment but later in decide to report and this can be invaluable evidence.

I’ve acted as a lawyer in many antisocial neighbour cases and can tell you that the council/HA will step in as long as they have the evidence to take action against the perpetrators. It is not an easy or pleasant process for those residents who come forward but, many times, it does the trick and helps to resolve the issue

Luck of the draw!