Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Have we rendered our home un-sellable?

149 replies

SaveMeTheWaltz · 20/12/2020 16:58

I'll try to keep this brief. In October we purchased and moved into our new house (one street over from our old flat - we've lived in the area for years and it is generally considered a 'nice' area, so what has happened has taken us by surprise). It very quickly became clear that the tenants living in the council-owned property next door had a major marijuana habit - think acrid skunk, smoked from around 11am until bed time most days. We initially tried to address it with them politely in person, which resulted in the female tenant threatening me; after a quick call to the council we decided route go down the route of police and council involvement.

Fast forward a few months. The police have visited the property several times, and the tenants have admitted marijuana use on camera. The police have issued a community protection order against the tenants, who don't seem bothered at all and are still carrying on as they were before. The council is now refusing to acknowledge the problem, and will not respond to my emails.

This was supposed to be the home that we'd bring our children up in and live in until we got old, but the whole situation is so horrible that we'd like to cut our losses, sell up and move on. However, there's now a record of anti-social behaviour at the property next door, which we'd have to declare. Has anyone managed to sell a house under these conditions? Has anyone managed to get their local council to take drug smoking tenants seriously? Can anyone give me advice? I'm feeling increasingly desperate and trapped and would very much appreciate an outside perspective on this. Thanks for reading this.

OP posts:
Chimeraforce · 20/12/2020 17:00

Are you financially able to consider the webuy any homes type of company? They'll offer you less but don't care emotionally about issues

TheInfected · 20/12/2020 17:03

Can you go down the legal route and sue who sold to you as they obviously didn't disclose the issue?

Qc16 · 20/12/2020 17:05

@TheInfected

Can you go down the legal route and sue who sold to you as they obviously didn't disclose the issue?
I agree with this - that’s the route to take.
supadupapupascupa · 20/12/2020 17:06

You can't do that. It may well have not been an issue to them.....

Sprig1 · 20/12/2020 17:09

If you really do want to sell you just need to price it accordingly. A landlord will still buy it if it is going to generate a good rental income. Maybe go to auction if you are in a hurry.

SillyOldMummy · 20/12/2020 17:12

Well, it is a horrible situation but you can escalate it still. Read this page, from the website of the Local Government Ombudsmen. See if your LA has done what it is required to do. If it has not, email them after Christmas and say that you are giving them 30 days to make good their actions, otherwise you will complain to the ombudsman. Keep a clearly documented record of all emails and phone calls with the council.

www.lgo.org.uk/make-a-complaint/fact-sheets/housing/neighbour-nuisance-and-anti-social-behaviour#:~:text=Councils%20have%20duties%20to%20investigate,if%20their%20behaviour%20is%20unacceptable.

Cherrypies · 20/12/2020 17:15

I would go back to the police, the order is being breached, they should take the next step, I would have thought.

NewHouseNewMe · 20/12/2020 17:46

Your MP and local councillors are the best bet in order to bring pressure upon the council. The last thing they want is for the area to get a reputation from this type of anti-social behaviour.
Are there other neighbours you could join forces with and form a pressure group?

BlueCheckedTeatowel · 20/12/2020 17:56

Can you go down the legal route and sue who sold to you as they obviously didn't disclose the issue?

ah, but it wasnt an issue then. they never noticed the neighbours smoking anything. infact the neighbours were lovely when they lived next door. this must be a new habit.

Qc16 · 20/12/2020 17:58

@BlueCheckedTeatowel

Can you go down the legal route and sue who sold to you as they obviously didn't disclose the issue?

ah, but it wasnt an issue then. they never noticed the neighbours smoking anything. infact the neighbours were lovely when they lived next door. this must be a new habit.

That’s what they say - what other neighbours- what do they say?
NoSquirrels · 20/12/2020 18:01

You’ve only been there since October - that’s 2 months. I think you’re being unrealistic to think it would be sorted within 2 months - these things take time.

If I were you I’d sit tight, keep escalating & complaining, try to get other neighbours on board, and reassess in spring.

I know it must feel (and smell) horrible but it’s really not been long and it can still be the home you bring your children up in once these tenants are gone.

SaveMeTheWaltz · 20/12/2020 18:06

Wow, thanks everyone - these are all helpful responses.

We've looked into the possibility of suing the seller. She was a single professional woman who only lived here for two years - the house looked barely lived in when we viewed it, and I'm assuming that she wasn't home much, so might not have even realised there was a problem until lockdown, at which point she sold it quickfast. No record of complaint, so we have a very weak case, and it's probably not worth pursuing this line of redress.

I've not though of webuyanyhomes type thing. I wonder what sort of financial hit we would need to take? It wasn't a cheap property (we're in London), so worried that a loss could potentially run into tens or even hundreds of pounds.

The Ombudsman is a great idea, thanks SillyOldMummy. I think this will have to be my next step if the council don't respond after the Christmas break.

I'd like to go back to the police Cherrypies, but DP is less keen - the neighbours get quite loud and aggressive after a police visit, and he's not sure what the point is if it doesn't have any effect.

And NewHouseMe - thanks. I've already been in touch with the local councillor (have had a holding response but no actual reply). If I get no joy from him I may well need to get the local MP involved too.

It's such difficult situation. The neighbours have been here 30 years, and clearly think this gives them the right to behave how they like. (They've actually told us that we can't talk to the police if we expect to 'fit in' around here, which is nuts). It's a very mixed area, think council houses next to identical properties close to the million pound bracket, which is usually a good thing and everyone gets along great, but has really come round to bite us on the butt in this instance.

OP posts:
ImPrincessAurora · 20/12/2020 18:09

I successfully sold a property after declaring a neighbour dispute.
There was no police involvement and I probably could have got away without declaring it but it didn’t feel right. The issues we had was noise day and night, alcohol abuse, fights, the list goes on.

I sold it to an investment buyer who turned it into a house of multiple occupation. Still gives me a chuckle now knowing our old neighbours swapped a lovely, quiet couple for a HMO.

It sold at market value but it did take longer then expected to sell.

catnoir1 · 20/12/2020 18:11

We looked at one of these companies and they offered £20,000 less on our house than asking price. We sold it to a buyer for asking price 3 days after we arrived but we would have taken the offer if our other buyer wasn't in the pipeline.

I doubt you would get anywhere with previous seller.

BlueThistles · 20/12/2020 18:12

She was a single professional woman who only lived here for two years - the house looked barely lived in when we viewed it, and I'm assuming that she wasn't home much

sadly you now know why ... Flowers

muddledmidget · 20/12/2020 18:18

What impact was the marijuana having on your life and why did you decide to report it? I think I would only report it if they were dealing and the users were causing a nuisance coming and going, but unfortunately the route you've gone down is likely to take a long time for the council to evict them, and is probably going to have to get nastier before they will start proceedings. Taking a financial hit and selling at auction or part exchanging the house for a new build might be your easiest ways out

Tequillalemon · 20/12/2020 18:18

Speak to a solicitor for advice. You may have to pay for an hours fee but at least you will know where you stand in selling the house.
www.problemneighbours.co.uk/selling-house-with--problem-neighbours.html

SaveMeTheWaltz · 20/12/2020 18:50

@NoSquirrels

You’ve only been there since October - that’s 2 months. I think you’re being unrealistic to think it would be sorted within 2 months - these things take time.

If I were you I’d sit tight, keep escalating & complaining, try to get other neighbours on board, and reassess in spring.

I know it must feel (and smell) horrible but it’s really not been long and it can still be the home you bring your children up in once these tenants are gone.

Thanks NoSquirrels - this sums it up entirely. I know I'm being unreasonable expecting to resolve this in two months! It's just that the smell (and sometimes actual physical effects) are driving me nuts. Being threatened hasn't helped either. I'm used to sorting out problems quickly and efficiently. I do need to remember to play the long game in this instance.
OP posts:
Scr00gy · 20/12/2020 18:53

You're giving up VERY quickly! Do you not think this house is worth fighting for? If your other neighbours are nice and the area and house is nice then surely it's worth it?

I had neighbours down the street thankfully who played loud drum and bass constantly. It didn't matter whether I walked past at noon or midnight, music was blaring. I think they were evicted after about a year and the new people are lovely and quiet.

LondonStone · 20/12/2020 19:12

@muddledmidget

What impact was the marijuana having on your life and why did you decide to report it? I think I would only report it if they were dealing and the users were causing a nuisance coming and going, but unfortunately the route you've gone down is likely to take a long time for the council to evict them, and is probably going to have to get nastier before they will start proceedings. Taking a financial hit and selling at auction or part exchanging the house for a new build might be your easiest ways out
I really sympathise, OP (except we are only renting at the moment, thank god.)

We moved to a new property in September and discovered the man downstairs is a chainsmoker, day and night. Only months in and we have already decided we will be moving. The smell alone of smoke or weed is enough to have a negative impact on your life.

Tavannach · 20/12/2020 19:17

Your local councillor should be able to help.

Paulina23 · 20/12/2020 19:22

I guess on a million pound property you re looking at 50k of stamp duty for your next move. Probably worth pushing the council or relevant party for few months? Not sure what legal angle you have against the previous seller, she clearly has no obligation to disclose what is good or not about the neighbourhood u less it has been notified to legal authorities as you did. With hindsight, it may have been preferable to keep the matter off record if it doesn’t seem to be solvable via evictions etc.

SonjaMorgan · 20/12/2020 19:44

I wouldn't mind living next door if that was the only issue. I am sure there must be others who would agree.

TheInfected · 20/12/2020 19:50

You can't do that. It may well have not been an issue to them

Doesn't matter if it wasn't an issue for them. That's the sort of thing you have to declare whether you're affected by it or not.

suggestionsplease1 · 20/12/2020 20:20

Can you contact the landlord of the property? I don't know about England but in Scotland they have a responsibility in law for antisocial behaviour occurring on their properties and would be compelled to address it, and it is one of the few set number of reasons in Scotland now that an eviction notice could be served.

Swipe left for the next trending thread