Be the neighbour you'd want
You can’t choose your neighbours, but you can choose to be a good neighbour.
As well as providing homes, we want to help build communities where people feel safe, can be themselves, and feel connected to where they live.
We also understand that issues with your neighbours can cause a lot of stress and disruption, and that when you ask for our help, it can be frustrating when there isn’t a quick resolution.
To help us keep everyone safe and happy in their home, there are a few things you can do to stop issues from turning into a bigger problem.
Take a look at this guide to see how you can play your part in building a happy community!
Small things can make a big difference
More often than not, a friendly word with your neighbour can resolve most issues without any intervention from us.
If you call us to tell us about a problem you’re having with your neighbours, we might ask you to speak to them first before we take any action.
Here are the most common causes for complaints we get and how you can avoid them becoming a problem:
Rubbish
Rubbish that’s not disposed of correctly can cause a lot of problems, including fire hazards, pests, and missed collections. It may also impact your service charges.
- Put your rubbish in the right bins and don’t leave anything on the ground.
- Take any bulky items to your nearest recycling centre. If you need some help recycling your items, give us a shout!
- Make sure bins are put away after they’ve been collected to keep walkways clear – people with wheelchairs or pushchairs might find it hard to get through otherwise.
Parking
Parking can be tricky wherever you live, and we understand how stressful this can be. Stick to the parking guidance in your neighbourhood, to prevent arguments but also to keep everyone safe.
- Only use your own allocated bays or driveways.
- Don't park on curbs or grass verges, so that everyone has enough room to use the pavements and roads.
- Make sure you’re not blocking the road for emergency service vehicles.
Noise
Noise can be a real nuisance to your neighbours, and you might not even know you’re doing it.
Noise can be an extremely difficult problem for us to help with, so the best thing to do is speak to your neighbour to find out if there’s anything they can do to stop it.
Where a neighbour (or anyone else) is causing a noise nuisance, your local council’s Environmental Health team should deal with it. We'll often work with your local council to help find a solution to noise issues.
If you’re planning a party or some work that you know might cause a lot of noise, then letting your neighbours know beforehand will go a long way!
Pets
We want to support anyone who wants to have a pet as long as they provide a suitable, safe home for them.
We also appreciate the impact this can have on neighbours, so we've created a range of resources, which are available on our website. You can also request a copy of these by contacting us.
- Make sure you pick up after your dog.
- Dispose of any waste responsibly.
- Keep your dog on a lead in communal areas.
Shared spaces
Keeping communal areas clear of personal items (such as bikes, mobility scooters, pushchairs, prams, and boxes) is the best way to reduce hazards and make sure that everyone can get out quickly and safely in an emergency.
Some of these items create a significant fire hazard, so keeping them out of the way can help prevent the spread of fire and smoke through your building.
If you need some help with storage, get in touch to discuss your options.
Think about your neighbours
Everyone who lives in your community is different, has their own challenges, and sees things in their own way. If you’re having a problem with something, it’s a good idea to think about why that might be happening and be empathetic towards them.
For example, if one of your neighbours has a garden which you think needs tidying up, it could be that they’re having difficulties maintaining it due to ill-health or a personal problem. Reporting this to us might cause them more stress, so talking to them about it might help you to understand what’s going on first.
Give back to your community
If you would like to play a more active role in improving your community for everyone, we’d love you to get involved!
Here are a few ways you can help:
Thanks and recognition scheme We want to celebrate small acts of kindness and examples of good neighbourliness, so if there’s someone in your community who deserves a bit of praise or a treat, tell us about them and we can make sure they know how special they are!
Community Champions Our brilliant team of Community Champions act as our eyes and ears in the community, telling us about the quality of our cleaning and grounds maintenance work, reporting anti-social behaviour, parking and more. They've also submitted lots of great investment ideas to improve where they live for their neighbours. Some of their recommendations have included better lighting, bins and fencing, fresh white line painting for car parks, and flowers to help brighten up communal areas. Find out more here!
Start a residents' group Some of our customers have formed groups to share ideas, meet new people and organise events for their community. If you’d like some help with forming your own, contact us, and we'd be happy to give you some advice on how to do it! We may also be able to support new groups with a grant.
Look out for each other
Did you know that loneliness can have the same long-term health effects as smoking 20 cigarettes a day?
You can help us build happy and healthy neighbourhoods by having a friendly chat with your neighbours. Our happy to chat benches have made a big impact on tackling loneliness, so if you see someone sitting on one by themselves, why not stop and ask how they are? If you think that your neighbourhood could benefit from a happy to chat bench, get in touch!
During cold snaps and heat waves, there may be people in your neighbourhood who might struggle to look after themselves. You can help by keeping an eye on anyone you think might need a bit more support during these times.