Arguing neighbours top nuisance list

A new Which? survey has found a quarter of people have had a problem with a nuisance neighbour in the past year as Which? launches a free guide to help deal with the problem.

New research from Which?’s consumer rights experts has revealed a quarter (27%) of people have had a problem with a nuisance neighbour in the past year, with loud voices and arguing (41%) topping the list of annoyances.

Loud music and noisy TVs (29%), doors slamming (27%), people stomping around (23%) and noise from pets (21%) were also among the top reasons for neighbours becoming a nuisance.

Half the people who experienced a problem were left feeling angry (53%) and irritable (52%), four in ten (42%) felt stressed and one in 10 (11%) felt afraid.

Our research shows that young people are more likely to suffer from a nuisance neighbour. We found a third (33%) of 18-24 year olds have experienced a problem compared to nearly one in five (17%) of those aged 65+. Worringly, nearly nine in 10 (86%) 18-24 year olds didn’t know where to get advice or help. This compares to 44% of those over 65.

Which? has produced a new guide on how to deal with a nuisance neighbour, covering advice such as keeping an incident diary, resolving issues face-to-face and complaining to your local authority.

Which? executive director, Richard Lloyd,  said:

“Having a nuisance neighbour can be a real problem, and our research has found that young people especially are suffering in silence. There are a number of ways you can complain and resolve a dispute which is why we have produced a free guide to help.”

Notes to editors:

1. Populus surveyed a representative sample of 2,062 UK adults online between 20-22 June 2014. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of all UK adults. Populus is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. 548 people have had a problem with a noisy neighbour in the last 12 months.

2. Please contact lloyd.purnell@which.co.uk for accompanying infographic.

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