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Dealing with neighbour nuisance

Our Aims
What Can I Do?
How Can the Association Help?
Who Else Can Help?
Useful Contacts

This is a summary of the Association's policy and procedures relating to dealing with anti-social behaviour.  If you would like a full copy of these documents please contact David Rundle on 01235 536001 or david.rundle@vale-housing.co.uk

Our Aims

We aim to:

• Make it easy for you to report problems
• Tell you what action we are taking
• Encourage you to try dealing with the problem yourself or use mediation
• Resolve problems quickly without using the law
• Reduce fear of getting involved or giving evidence
• Take legal action where appropriate
  

What Can I Do?

First try talking to your neighbour. A friendly, polite approach often solves the problem without any long term ill feelings. If this does not work the Association can give you some advice How Can the Association Help? or refer you to another organisation Who Else Can Help?

How can the Association Help?

We have a procedure for dealing with Neighbour Nuisance. If you have a problem follow these steps:

1. First try talking to your neighbour to sort out the problem yourself.
   
2. If this doesn't work, see if there is an agency who is able to help with this problem. Who Else Can Help?
   
3. Contact your Housing Officer with all the relevant details of the complaint, including dates and times of incidents and how it affects you. Click here for contact details for your local area office.  Fill in one of our nuisance diaries to help you.  You can download one of our nuisance diaries by clicking here. If you think the nuisance is racist or involved serious harassment we give top priority to resolving the problem. 
   
4. We will carefully consider all complaints we receive about neighbours and will place each into one of the following 3 categories:
    a) Complaints where tenancy conditions have been broken and we must take action
    b) Complaints which we, along with other agencies, need to get involved with
    c) Complaints which we are not responsible for and have to pass to the appropriate agency
   
5. Your complaint will be acknowledged within 5 working days and you will be provided with the name and contact number of the person/team who is dealing your complaint.
   
6. If appropriate, your Housing Offer will visit the person causing the problem or tell them that a complaint has been made and explain why.
   
7. If appropriate, your Housing Officer will write to the person causing the problem confirming the details of their first visit. Your Housing Officer will also tell you about any further action we may take, including mediation by an independent company.
   
8. If the complaint is of a very serious nature, particularly where there have been a number of justified complaints about the same problem, we may take legal action against the offending tenant. We will only do this as a last resort if all other steps have failed.

Who Else Can Help?

The table below shows various organisations who can help with particular problems. A list of their addresses can be found at Useful Contacts

 

Problem	Who to contact	How they can help
Threats and Violence	Police Vale HA (if they are a tenant)	The police can make an arrest under public order or protection from harassment acts We can enforce our tenancy conditions
Noise Problems	Environmental Health District Council	Environmental Health have powers to control excessive noise levels, stop noise from hi-fi's and disconnect burglar and car alarms and so on.
Litter	District Council Vale HA (if the litter is on our land)	The council has a duty to keep public land litter-free. They can issue fixed penalty notices for leaving litter and issue street litter control notices We can remove litter, and recharge the offender.
Build up of rubbish	Environmental Health Vale HA (If it is our property)	Environmental Health can force people to remove rubbish. We can make people clean up buildings
Dog nuisance	Environmental Health District Council Police Vale HA (if the dog owner is our tenant)	Barking dogs may be a noise nuisance. The council can designate land where owners commit an offence if they do not clear up dog mess. The police can take action if the dog is dangerous. We can enforce our tenancy conditions.
Unruly children	Social Services Vale HA (if the parents/guardians are tenants)	Social Services can provide support or make orders. We can enforce our tenancy conditions.
People with mental health problems	Community Mental Health Team/GP	Agencies can arrange care and support.
Abandoned vehicles	District Council Vale HA (if on our property)	The council can remove and dispose of vehicles unlawfully abandoned. We can arrange the removal of abandoned vehicles.
Repairing vehicles as part of a business, from a home	District Council Vale HA (if on our property)	The planning department can enforce planning controls. We can enforce our tenancy conditions.
Untidy gardens whose condition affects the area	District CouncilVale HA (if on our property)	The planning department can enforce planning controls. We can enforce our tenancy conditions
Racial harassment	Police Vale HA (if victim/offender is tenant) Report Racism website and Racism Actionline	The police can take action against any criminal offence. We can enforce our tenancy conditions and provide support. You can report problems on the Report Racism website and Racism Actionline (see contact details below)
Offensive, indecent phone calls	BT and the police	BT and the police can help in legal action.
Malicious letters or written abuse	Police	The police can charge people with this criminal offence.

 

Useful Contacts

Vale Housing Association Ltd

Abingdon/Cherwell/South Oxfordshire area
Phone: 01235 536001
Email: abingdon@vale-housing.co.uk

Wantage/Faringdon/Hailey area
Phone: 01235 760007
Email: wantage@vale-housing.co.uk

Police

08458 505505

District Councils

Vale 01235 520202
South 01491 835351
West 01993 702941
Cherwell 01295 252535

District Councils' out-of-hours numbers for emergencies

Your local District Council offers an out-of-hours service for emergencies, such as serious noise nuisance. The contact details are below:
Vale of White Horse: 01235 524886
Cherwell: 01295 221531
West Oxfordshire: 01993 705056
South Oxfordshire: 01491 824033

Victim Support

01865 751511

Racist Harassment

You can report racist incidents online and find out about help and support options by visiting http://www.reportracismoxon.com/wps/wcm/connect/ReportRacism/Home/
Alternatively ring the  Racism Actionline on 01865 815121.

Social Services

Community Mental Health Team
Vale 01235 205447
South 01491 825877
West 01993 706474
South Cherwell 01869 331700
General Enquiries 01235 554425

BT

0800 666 700

Mediation Services

01865 372089

CANAcT

Canact is a Crime and Disorder Action Team based at Oxford City Council. They can provide advice for people suffering from severe cases of anti-social behaviour. To find out more visit www.oxford.gov.uk/community/NuisanceNeighbours.cfm or ring them on 01865 252969