Guide to illegal neighbourly behaviour – The Neighbour’s Charter
- If you intend to attach your washing line/garden hose/plants to a neighbour’s wall or fence obtain consent first. It is your neighbour’s property so their consent is required.
- Bubbling hot tubs which are relaxing for you may not be for your neighbour and could constitute a nuisance due to noise.
- Only cut back tree branches to the extent that they overhang your land. Cutting back into your neighbour’s property is illegal. If the tree has a preservation order you cannot cut any branches.
- Do not just throw back hedge/tree trimmings from overhanging plants without speaking to your neighbour first. Despite the plants belonging to them this could be considered to be garden waste fly tipping.
- Do not take fruit from a neighbour’s tree even if it overhangs your land – This constitutes theft.
- Ensure any CCTV cameras around your property do not point at part or all of a neighbour’s land. This could in some cases breach privacy laws under the Human Rights Act and possibly lead to allegations of harassment.
- Smoke – whether from a wood burner in the house, a chiminea in the garden, or a barbecue – can constitute a nuisance.
- Keeping chickens might seem like a good idea but the noise, odour, flies and vermin can be deemed to be a nuisance behaviour.
- Be mindful where you position you children’s trampolines to ensure that the noise is not too disturbing but also to avoid children (and adults) being able to see into neighbour’s gardens and affect their right to privacy.
- Bright security lighting if it shines directly into a neighbour’s property can constitute light pollution of nuisance.
- It is recommended by environmental health officers that noisy DIY should only take place between 8am and 6pm on weekdays, Saturdays between 8am and 1pm and never on a Sunday. Similar recommendations are in place for hoovering and other noisy domestic appliances.
- If you are parking a caravan or motorhome on your drive give some thought to whether the position of the vehicle might affect your neighbour’s right to light and constitute a nuisance.
- Do not use a neighbour’s unsecure Wi-Fi connection without their knowledge i.e. ‘piggybacking’. Criminal charges can be brought against you under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 / the Communications Act 2003