Disgusting neighbours & council letter

[ChickyNuggies]

We live in a 4 in a block of flats, 2 downstairs and 2 upstairs. The two downstairs flats (one of which we live in) shares a hallway with the other downstairs neighbours and the upstairs flats have their own entrance round the back.

The other ground floor neighbours are disgusting, and we are coming to think of selling but nobody will buy it with these neighbours I'm betting, is there anything we can do?

I have never heard a hoover running in the 8 years we've lived here, the stink coming from their flat is like an outside bin on a hot day and their living room window is covered in black mound, spider webs and has well over 200 dead months laying in 2cms of dust. The back window that looks into the kitchen is the same, the kitchen surfaces are covered in rubbish bags and think black gunge. They get 2 takeaways delivered a day because presumably they cannot use the kitchen.

Now we have received a letter from the council as someone has complained of one of the garages at the back (the one belonging to the neighbours) being filled with black bags of rubbish including food waste. We never go round the back but sure enough there it is, an entire garage full to the brim with bin bags and it stinks. A rat haven.

We previously had to complain to environmental health because they left their car on the street unused for so long it was covered in thick green mould and that got taken away.

We are going to be stuck here forever because of them, aren't we.

Also, it's 2 mid 30s brothers that live there, just for context. No physical disabilities that we have seen.

[YesitsBess]

Environmental health again I would imagine? Sounds bloody awful.

[Gonewiththewindbeforelong]

Sorry you’re going through this. Have you tried speaking with your local elected member? Either a councillor or MP - perhaps even ideally, both? Sounds like the pressure needs to be put on for action here and everything has been light touch before now.

[KangarooKenny]

I wonder if they have MH problems causing this ? Are you aware of any other services visiting ?

[CaptainBarbosa]

Does the block of flats have a management company? Someone must be maintaining the block. Can you raise it with them?

If not then I'd would be the council environmental health you need to speak to. But a flat can't be condemned because it is untidy/smelly sadly. If the shared communal space is clean the council may say it's fine, just to give you a heads up.

But my guess is there must be someone managing the block. Like who do you go to if the exterior doors stop working or the roof falls through?

[WeepingSomnambulist]

Try adult social services. Something is wrong with this and they need help and support.
People dont live like that. There is lazy and then there is living like that.

[TooMuchToDoTooLittleInclination]

Seems an ideal time to respond to the letter you were sent. Explain it's the neighbours garage & the flat is just as disgusting, and ask how they can help.

Start being determined to get it sorted! With the view to trying to sell in the spring!

[TooHot2022]

I'm afraid you will need to commit some time to get this sorted. Write to anyone and everyone who might be relevant:

• environmental health
• social services
• councillers
• get advice from Citizen's Advice Bureau

[ItsSnowJokes]

Speak to the freeholder, they may be breaking terms of their lease and they can take this up with them.

Speak to environmental health and keep on at them.

[WhiskerPatrol]

Yes this will definitely be a breach of lease if the flat is privately owned. What's the set-up?

[ChickyNuggies]

Thanks all for the suggestions!

Were in Scotland, if that makes any difference and nobody looks after the maintenance or anything, the flats just usually sort it out amongst themselves and do all the cleaning etc?

[ChickyNuggies]

That's interesting, I hadn't thought of that! Will give that a bash.

[ChickyNuggies]

@KangarooKenny

I wonder if they have MH problems causing this ? Are you aware of any other services visiting ?

I couldn't say, but it's definitely gotten worse over the years so possibly. Not ever heard any visitors on all the time we've lived here except takeaway deliveries

[ChickyNuggies]

The shared communal space is clean, but only because I bloody clean it! They've never so much as swept it. I once left it for months just to see if they would clean up, and they didn't. We also need a new front front door, but will have to pay for it all ourselves as no chance of them chipping in 🙄

[ChickyNuggies]

Honestly I am not sure, exactly. All the flats are privately owned and actually nobody loves upstairs anymore (one woman moved in with her partner but doesn't want to sell and the other is on a secondment abroad). We own, and as I understand it from street gossip, the neighbours parents actually own the flat they live in, and have refused to contribute to any maintenance (I think there was significant roof repair work before we moved in).

There's other things as well... There's a number of derilict outbuildings in the garden which is and the other flats want to knock down to get more garden space and they refuse to give permission for that as well.

[Sandrine1982]

Are these ex council flats? Perhaps you could approach the council to ask if they're buying flats in your area and if they are interested? Not sure how it works in Scoland. We're in London and we sold to the council. It was an ex LA block with half of the flats privately owned, half council. Not many people know that some councils buy flats due to housing shortage. They pay only slightly less than market value, but really not far off....

[SafeguardingSocialWorker]

Environmental health are the only ones with any powers in this situation in England. Not sure if it's the same in Scotland.

[Jkell]

With garages, there should be a section in the lease on how they are to be used and looked after.

[WhiskerPatrol]

Do you have a lease for your flat? What does it say? Are you in touch with the owners of the upstairs flats? What would happen if the roof started leaking, for example?

[TrashyPanda]

@ChickyNuggies

Thanks all for the suggestions!

Were in Scotland, if that makes any difference and nobody looks after the maintenance or anything, the flats just usually sort it out amongst themselves and do all the cleaning etc?

That’s totally normal for Scotland. Each flat bears a share of responsibility for the communal areas of the block.

Is the rubbish combustible - eg newspapers? That could amount to a fire hazard.

id be involving Environmental services re the rats and the Fire Brigade re fire risks.

[TrashyPanda]

@WhiskerPatrol

Do you have a lease for your flat? What does it say? Are you in touch with the owners of the upstairs flats? What would happen if the roof started leaking, for example?

this Is Scotland, so what you would call freehold. There are no long leases (over 20 years) for residential properties.

the house deeds will contain conditions, which are called burdens. The first sale of an individual property (the breakaway deed) will contain the burdens affecting the individual property and the communal areas. In over 30 years, I’ve never seen any burdens relating to keeping an individual property clean and tidy. If the roof leaks, then the responsibility for repair will be found in the individual breakaway deeds.

[BogOffTraceyBeaker]

Are you exaggerating to make you point that you don’t approve of how they live?

[ChickyNuggies]

Not ex council, no. That would solve a lot of issues though.

[ChickyNuggies]

We all have each others numbers for emergencies such as this but that's as far as any arrangement goes!

[ChickyNuggies]

@BogOffTraceyBeaker

Are you exaggerating to make you point that you don’t approve of how they live?

No, not exaggerating at all. It wasn't us who complained about the rubbish in the garage to Environmental Health. I genuinely don't care how they choose to live except for when it has a direct impact on us being able to sell our property.

Again, according to street gossip the brothers have a reasonably sad story about how they ended up in a one bed flat together and I do have some sympathy towards them, but there is being untidy and then there is downright dirty.

[MissMaple82]

Can I just say, disabilities don't have to be bloody seen!! Nor do they come with an age bracket!! I was sympathetic until I read that nonsense