FAQs

What do I do if I'm a Council tenant and I am being harassed by my neighbour or someone who lives nearby?

The Tenancy Agreements of all our Oxford City Council tenants state quite clearly that tenants and their visitors must not cause nuisance to neighbours.

What to do

Talk to your neighbour: When people live close together, they often do not realise they are disturbing others. If you are disturbed, the first step to take is to explain politely to the people involved that they are causing you a problem. You may consider using an independent mediator. See Mediation below.

Talk to us: If the problem persists, contact your Local Housing Office. We will need a record of the problem so you should keep a diary of events. We will treat all complaints seriously, and all information given to us will be treated as confidential. In cases of extreme and continuous noise or pollution, the Council's Environmental Health Section can take action.

Mediation

Many neighbour problems can be sorted out by talking through the different views and coming to an agreement. However, it can be difficult to do this without the situation deteriorating into a dispute. You can get help by going to Mediation Oxfordshire. This organisation provides independent mediators who discuss the issues with all parties in a professional, calm way, and help them come to an agreement about the issue. They are trained to deal with a variety of situations and will be understanding whilst remaining absolutely impartial. The service is free.

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