Almost half of all neighbourly disputes are left unresolved

Almost half of all disputes between UK neighbours, including those involving ongoing abuse and arguments, are left unresolved.

Furthermore, one in five Britons have found themselves caught up in a neighbourly dispute at least once, while one in ten have become embroiled in a dispute which lasted 12 months or more, according to research from a UK insurance provider.

The study, dubbed A portrait of the modern British community, was carried out by Co-op insurance in a bid to provide a snapshot into neighbourly behaviours in 2016.

Worryingly, it revealed that a large proportion of Britons had been experiencing neighbourly disturbances on a regular basis and, worse still – many are failing to do anything about it.

77 per cent of Britons told the survey that they had been subjected to disrespectful behaviour, while three quarters added that their neighbours were regularly rude, intolerant or noisy.

44 per cent said that they had suffered excessive noise from their neighbours on a regular basis, while a further 22 per cent said that they had fallen victim to neighbourly abuse.

Meanwhile, 72 per cent added that their neighbours were inconsiderate when it came to parking their cars, while a further 19 per cent admitted to being embroiled in ongoing ‘parking wars’.

Boundary disputes and a failure to keep shared facilities properly maintained were also cited as common problems causing neighbourly tension in the UK.

Ben Menahem, Associate in OGR Stock Denton’s property team, said: “Communication here is key. Trying to build a polite, practical relationship with your neighbours at the outset, may well see these figures drop”.

For advice and support on any residential or landlord-tenant disputes, please contact Ben Menahem, Associate in our property team.