The councils website will have information on how you can contact them. So can your neighbour. . The officer will also get other facts that they need to help them decide your complaint. Although most of the district lay within the London Borough of Hounslow, some parts fall within the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and the London Borough of Hillingdon including Heathrow Airport. Use FixMyStreet.com to Contact your local council. Excessive amounts of any of the following could also be handled by the council: It is hard to define unreasonable noise as this differs from person to person. The right hedge can be an ideal garden boundary but the wrong hedge may bring problems. In the event of an emergency, such as if your neighbour physically attacks you, always call 999. If you think your neighbours tree is dangerous, you can report it to the council - for example if you think it might fall over. Hounslow Council Contact Information. Provide the Ombudsman and the resident with further details in relation to its statement that it will explore securing a permanent move for the neighbour as referred to in its 8 April 2022 communication. There was a referral in October 2020 in respect of the neighbour to the appropriate agency, however there is a lack of evidence to demonstrate that. This phone number is Hounslow Council's Best Phone Number because 54 customers like you used this contact information over the last 18 months and gave us feedback . This could include keeping the hedge within its new height for as long as its there. When theyve got both sides of the story, a council officer will visit the site to look at the hedge and its surroundings. Visiting Hounslow House. We have 5,219 pages of rights advice for you covering 10,545 companies and organisations across 16 public & private sectors. Our address and travel options for getting to Hounslow House. If antisocial behaviour relates to council property or another registered social landlord (housing association) property you may still be able to report this with us online. You can contact the council if you think your neighbour isnt acting in accordance with this notice. News stories, speeches, letters and notices, Reports, analysis and official statistics, Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports. The resident made noise and ASB reports regarding his neighbour to the landlord between March and November 2018. On 3 September 2020, the resident called the landlord to report hearing loud music from his neighbours flat at 1.45 am that morning. The resident contacted the landlord on 6 March 2020 complaining that he and his family were having sleepless nights and he had been signed off sick from work because of loud noise and banging from his neighbour. The lease started on 10 July 2017. The Ombudsmans role is not to establish whether particular events occurred; for example, it is not our role to assess whether antisocial behaviour happened. The landlord emailed the resident on 12 August 2020 confirming that they had visited the neighbours flat. Further, that other neighbours said the noise was mainly in the evening and usually stopped at around 9 pm. 2020 and confirmed that it would escalate the complaint to stage one of its process. He said he was concerned about calling the Councils Enforcement team as he did not want to jeopardise his or his familys safety. More information on the cookies we set can be found in our cookie policy. Your neighbour could report it to your local council and you could be told to cut your hedge. Hounslow includes the districts of Hounslow West, Heston, Cranford and Heathrow. The Ombudsman considers the evidence and looks to see if there has been any 'maladministration', for example . It also told the resident it would investigate his reports. It will take time for them to get a statement from your neighbour and arrange to visit the site. I have to say I am amazed how protected these people are. Around the same time, its HO carried out an Equality Impact Assessment to determine if it was appropriate to take further steps regarding the neighbours tenancy. On 16 March 2020, the resident reported there had been loud music and banging all night for the last three nights from his neighbour. Before referral to court the HO must undertake an assessment to establish whether the possible outcome of any court action would affect the health and safety of any person in line with the Equality Act. that it was meeting with other agencies that week. Hounslow London Borough Council elections - Hounslow Council in London, England is elected every four years. Further he said that the warning signs were there, and action needed to be taken before something serious happened. Yesterday he blasted music from 3pm in the afternoon to 9.45am. He followed this up with further reports on 17 and 18 March 2020 advising of hammering noises. The landlord carried out a risk assessment on 27 August 2020 with the neighbour following which it discussed their case with other agencies and identified an action plan to assist and support him. the landlord to report he could smell burning coming from his neighbours flat. You can ask the police to get involved when your neighbours are rowdy or inconsiderate, damage your property or dump rubbish. Now the whole street can enjoy my bass. You can find contact details for Hounslow Council above. What does it mean to have power of attorney? You can make a complaint, like I did before and nothing happens. The landlord replied on the same date advising that it appreciated that the issues were reported over 12 months ago but they had not yet been resolved. No. He stated that he had no choice but to allow the upstairs neighbour to enter his property on its visit to him to assess the noise level. You have accepted additional cookies. To help you test the strength of your case, it also might be worth reading High hedges complaints: prevention and cure. This is set out in the Housing Act 1996 and the Housing Ombudsman Scheme (the Scheme). Whilst it is acknowledged that the landlord must adhere to rules when sharing personal data from one party to another, it is reasonable to expect the landlord to manage the residents expectations about what action it was taking to tackle the issues and provide regular reports of its progress. Think carefully about the reasons for your complaint. The complaint is about the landlords response to the residents reports of noise nuisance. Any disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 must also be taken into account before possession is pursued against a disabled person. However, there is a lack of evidence to show the landlord followed up on the actions identified at this stage. On receiving the residents report on 6 March 2020, the landlord interviewed the resident and asked him to complete incident diary sheets. It advised of the contact details for the Councils Enforcement team who it said were available depending on the type of nuisance. Visit Homepage. Definition of Hounslow in the Definitions.net dictionary. Ask them to keep their dog inside at night or to impose a curfew for their child's drum practice. . The council must be realistic about how long it will take your neighbour to cut the hedge or arrange for someone else to do it. no evidence of the landlord engaging with the relevant support agencies again until the end of March 2021. resident aware that he could contact the local authoritys Enforcement team to report any such incidents if he felt in danger which was appropriate. There was a further incident in August 2021 when the police had to gain entry into the neighbours property in the early hours. You have rejected additional cookies. If their behaviour crosses into verbal abuse and intimidation that can be classed as antisocial behaviour. If youre not sure what to do, you canget help at your nearest Citizens Advice. The complaint was logged with the Housing Officer in August 2020. If your neighbour is complaining about you, If you disagree with your neighbour about a wall or fence, Deal with flooding in a rented home - overview. If you still need help, you canlook for a mediatoron GOV.UK. It is evident that the landlord made 22 further visits after the conclusion of the residents complaint between 18 May and 19 November 2020. It is understandable that due to the ongoing issues experienced and the safety risk posed by some of the neighbours ASB, the resident seeks a permanent solution to the situation. If someone breaks an abatement order about noise from their home, they can be fined up to 5,000. I get the feeling they fear this noisy neighbour enough to give him a wide birth but not me. If its on the boundary between properties, youll need to check the legal documents you got when you bought your home. Any reference to these events is for context only. the lack of action or engagement with other agencies during this timeframe was unreasonable. Heartbroken dad issues warning after son, 13, dies in TikTok challenge, Red flag after possible suspect in missing brothers case made eerie request, Two dead and four injured after 19-year-old 'opens fire at prom after party', $80k reward offered for shooting suspect Francisco Oropesa after five killed, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Noise is one of the most common neighbour complaints, just because you find a noise or habit irritating. This is evidence of the landlord failing to follow its complaints process. On 14 April 2020, the resident requested an update from the landlord. The legislation doesnt set a specific height. Police refused to do anything, and environmental health were even more useless. In its stage one complaint of 29 April 2021, the landlord acknowledged the resident had been making reports for more than 12 months however said that it logged the ASB complaint in August 2020. However, there is no evidence of the landlord explaining this to the resident which is reasonable to expect if that was the case. Listen, and request some time to think about the problem and measures you intend to take. The resident first reported noise from music/TV disturbance to the landlord on 24, its noise team on 30 July 2019. This guide explains the powers that local authorities have to deal with disputes between neighbours about high hedges, and how home owners and occupiers can complain to the local authority about such hedges. This service has not seen any evidence to show the landlord wrote to the neighbour to warn him about the noise nuisance at this time. This means your noisy neighbour must stop making the noise or face legal action. We had a similar issue with students that went on for about 11 months. If you cant solve the problem, ask your council to help. The resident replied to the landlord later. Where an ASB case is graded as 1, the Housing Officer must refer it to its ASB team, completing a risk assessment. This. the landlord took the other steps identified in its action plan at the time. The landlords complaint process states it will log a complaint when it receives one. Registered number 01436945 England Registered office: Citizens Advice, 3rd Floor North, 200 Aldersgate, London, EC1A 4HD, If you disagree with your neighbour about a tree or hedge. The key question is: There are no fixed rules on the size of gaps. I unpacked my home pioneer home cinema unit just now and am blasting Def Leopard love bites so loud my ears are bleeding. when we had a nuisance neighbour it was near on impossible to get rid of him. The council can reject your complaint if they think you havent taken all reasonable steps to try to settle your dispute without involving them. You can complain to the council if you think theyve done something wrong, failed to provide a service or not followed correct procedures. There were also instances of it not providing updates when promised. The landlords internal file note dated 9 June 2020 show its ASB officer interviewed the residents neighbour about noise and ASB reports raised by the resident. For example, give details of the position, type and height of the hedges trees or shrubs and, if you wish, include a plan. There is also no evidence of the landlord following up on a further report from the resident of a burning smell from the neighbours flat on 6 November 2020. To what extent does the hedge block light or views, even if there are gaps in the greenery or between the trees or shrubs? If it is, youll have to ask the council for permission to cut the tree even if its yours. Comply with above orders within four weeks. If the dispute arises from lifestyle differences and no tenancy breach is found, then it shall offer mediation. You need to keep a log of all the incidents so you can accurately report the issue. An action plan was agreed in August 2020 which included several actions both to address the ASB and mitigate the effects of his ASB, which was appropriate. So stick some Motorhead or Slayer on full blast and try and wake the bastard up Once again, thanks. Advice for people affected by child abuse. Grade 1 cases include damage to property. We use some essential cookies to make this website work. The council may use the governments guidance to help them decide what could be the best height for the hedge. In most cases you should first approach your neighbour directly about the matter. If your neighbour has broken the law I feel very unwell from the lack of sleep. The Councils definition of a complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about: Not every expression of dissatisfaction will be a complaint. The council might also have to allow extra time to protect birds nesting in the hedge. Yes. This also states that if. Take 3 minutes to tell us if you found what you needed on our website. The landlords ASB policy makes clear that it must do everything possible to resolve the issue using alternative remedies before considering tenancy action. This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. It kept happening and he was going around in circles. Here is a summary of privacy when using this chat. However, not all of the actions were progressed in a timely manner and there is no evidence to show the landlord followed through with some of the actions in its plan. Clearly explain: Stick to the facts and give all relevant information to back up your points. The landlord took steps to investigate the residents ASB reports after he first reported burning smells from the neighbours flat in June 2020 which was appropriate. The most effective way to request a service or report something to the Council is through our standard customer contact channels. Therefore, from August 2020, the landlord engaged with other parties whereby an action plan was agreed to address the issues. 2023 Hearst UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 30 Panton Street, Leicester Square, London, SW1Y 4AJ. Theres no set deadline for the council. Also, the council can enter the land and carry out the required work. . Is there anything wrong with this page? The sub woofer is incredible on this system. I unpacked my pioneer home cinema unit just now and am blasting Def Leopard love bites so loud my ears are bleeding. It is noted that it made 24 visits to the property between 28 August 2019 and 12 March 2020. You can change your cookie settings at any time. You will need to explain what, and how serious, those problems are. Now the whole street can enjoy my bass. If youd like to join in, please sign in or register. The needs of residents are our top priority and we pride ourselves in delivering quality services in the most effective and efficient way possible. All Rights Reserved. A report by Hounslow Council's Standards Sub-committee, which was due to be published as the paper went to press this week, is believed to be highly critical of Councillor Mohinder Gill. No. The TW4 postcode is made up of Hounslow West and parts of Cranford, whilst the TW5 postcode includes Heston and Cranford. On 29 May 2020, the landlord replied to the resident apologising for the noise he was experiencing. If you think your neighbour's tree is dangerous, you can report it to the council - for example if you think it might fall over. But the further away it is, the more difficult it will be to show that the hedges height is harming the reasonable enjoyment of all or part of your home and/or its garden or yard. Whilst this review has not investigated events after the final response, it is noted that the neighbour was absent from the flat for a while although, resident has indicated that the neighbour may have recently returned to their property. However, because the landlord also has to balance the needs of the neighbour who is vulnerable, the lack of a permanent solution provided would not. The landlord will then open an ASB case and send the reporter a letter acknowledging the report. He said that the neighbour was also verbally abusive which frightened his children. The council will let the neighbour know that youve complained, so bear this in mind when youre writing the complaint. The resident raised a stage one complaint with the landlord on 10 March 2020 in which he, he had raised numerous concerns with the landlord about the excessive loud TV which he believed originated from the flat above his own. In its final complaint response to the resident, the landlord advised that there was insufficient evidence to take steps to possess the neighbours property. It is a suburban development situated 10.6 miles west south-west of Charing Cross. This shows the landlord considered legal action to evict the neighbour however as its ASB policy sets out legal obligations the landlord has to vulnerable residents including when pursuing possession, it is reasonable to expect the landlord to have contacted its Legal team for advice on this issue to ensure it was fully aware of all options. In this instance the landlords ASB policy state. Before approaching your council you should always try to compromise with your neighbours. Shortly afterwards, the landlord undertook a risk assessment and began engaging with other agencies about what action could be taken to address the situation. If you dont feel comfortable speaking to them, write a letter or ask someone to contact them for you. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. The landlord said it would contact him again in four weeks with an update. The property is a flat on the fourth floor of the building. Its also worth finding out if your council can check if the tree is safe - you can find your councils website on GOV.UK. the steps youve taken to try to settle the dispute, the problems that you are having in your home and/or its garden or yard because the hedge is too tall, how you think the hedge is adversely affecting the reasonable enjoyment of this property, take any action that could result in the hedges death or destruction, trim the hedge to a height less than 2 metres above ground level. The council have to weigh up all relevant information before reaching a fair and balanced decision. Let us know, Copyright 2023 Citizens Advice. and it did not explain why it had not logged an ASB complaint prior to August 2020. pay the resident total compensation of 600. For example, the hedge might help to make the area an attractive and pleasant place. If the problem continues, youll need to get help from a solicitor who specialises in neighbour disputes - but this will be expensive. This is set out in the Housing Act 1996 and the Housing Ombudsman Scheme. The Ombudsman recommends that the landlord provide regular updates to res, Videos on managing unacceptable behaviour. You can find out more or opt-out from some cookies. It followed this up with an email to the resident on 14 August 2020 advising his report had been logged and requesting him to record the times/dates of the alleged noise nuisance and ASB in diary sheets. Looking at Hounslow Council's Environmental Health Noise Nuisance web pages, they do have a weekend noise team but they also have a general team, and it states there, 'We aim to contact at least 90% of complainants within 3 working days by letter, telephone or by visiting your property': The police are not interested in noise nuisance, its your council who are responsible for dealing with it. The resident is a leaseholder. It also advised him of the importance of it witnessing the reported noise to be able to take further action. Your neighbour can cut any branches that are overhanging into their garden as long as they only remove the bits on their side of the boundary. We are an independent directory of contact information that enables consumers to quickly and efficiently find appropriate contact information and discus their own complaint experiences with other internet users. Register. We bought a house a few years ago, only to find as soon as we moved in, a single mother drug dealer lived next door. Hounslow council only have 'noise teams' for Friday and Saturday night but no other day of the week. Phone. Check the councils website or complaint form, or contact the council, to find out how much the right fee is and how you should pay it. On 13 April 2021, the neighbour made a self-referral for support. If your neighbour wont cut branches hanging over your garden, youre allowed to chop them off - but only the bits on your side of the boundary. Hounslow. Complaining about your neighbour This advice applies to England If your neighbour is noisy or stops you feeling comfortable, try to discuss it with them if you can. The council here instructs the police to confiscate items. I gave up with the authorities. This is set out in the Housing Act 1996 and the Housing Ombudsman Scheme (the Scheme). The landlord noted that. More information on the cookies we set can be found in our cookie policy. After the resident made further reports of noise on 18 and 19 May 2020, the landlord enquired about installation of noise recording equipment but was informed that, due to the ongoing corona virus pandemic, the noise team were not entering properties. However, there is no evidence of the landlord opening an ASB case, of it referring the case to its ASB team or interviewing the neighbour or his care worker to discuss the allegations. This is a simple guide and not a statement of the law. They might be able to deal with the disagreement on your behalf. The council can issue a noise abatement order if they believe the noise levels to be unreasonable. The council may offer reduced fees for people who are on a low income or benefits. If you have tried and failed to resolve your neighbourly issue by talking to your neighbour you can approach your local council. The Council's definition of a complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about: failure to follow process failure to follow the Council's own policy significant or repeated failure to. Heathrow Airport and parts of Hatton comprise the TW6 postcode. This notice sets out what must be done to the hedge and when it must be done by. They must take into account any relevant concerns raised by you and your neighbour. They might, for example, measure the size of your garden or how far the hedge is from windows in your home. The sub woofer is incredible on this system. The landlord should seek legal advice if necessary. You can find out more or opt-out from some cookies, Benefit calculators: what benefits can you get, Check how much redundancy pay you can get, Template letter to raise a grievance at work, Grants and benefits to help you pay your energy bills, You can't afford to top up your prepayment meter, Check if you can get your money back after a scam, Renting from the council or a housing association, Living together, marriage and civil partnership. They concluded at this time that there may not be a case to investigate or keep open any longer but said they would write to. On 4 June 2021, the landlord provided a stage two final response. The resident asserted that the noise persisted, and the landlord had not offered a solution to the issue; therefore, he requested that it escalate the complaint. Whichever way you make the complaint this is your chance to set out your case, so its important that you give the right information. This doesnt include those privet hedges that lose all their leaves in winter and beech or hornbeam hedges that keep dead leaves in winter. In August 2020, the police and Fire Brigade attended the residents floor to investigate smoke in the communal corridor and it was identified that the source of the smoke was the neighbours flat. The document detailed the reasons for the referral as due to allegations of anti-social behaviour from residents. Hounslow Council 29April 2022 Our approach The Housing Ombudsman's approach to investigating and determining complaints is to decide what is fair in all the circumstances of the case. agreed for it to bring the upstairs neighbour to his property to observe the noise generated by her television downstairs. Are you the owner or occupier of this domestic property? If the council accept your complaint you will most likely have to pay them a fee for their service. Call Customer services on 020 8583 2000. Make a complaint or comment. On 4 May 2021, the resident asked the landlord to escalate his complaint to stage two. Five Fire Brigades attended who knocked on the doors of residents in the block. The landlord failed to follow its ASB policy in this regard. Registered in England. Find out about the Energy Bills Support Scheme, nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3, Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, High hedges complaints: prevention and cure, trees protected by a Tree Preservation Order, appeal to the independent Planning Inspectorate. . The remedial notice issued by the council will say what must be done. If he's a little bloke, kick his head in and stick his hi-fi up his arse if he's massive, just ask nicely Rather than start a campaign against them which will most likely lead to, http://www.hounslow.gov.uk/index/environment_and_planning/environmental_health/noisenuisance/noise_nuisance_reporting.htm, https://www.gov.uk/how-to-resolve-neighbour-disputes/complain-about-noise-to-the-council, http://www.problemneighbours.co.uk/neighbourissuescategory.html. If youre worried because you havent heard anything, you can contact the council to check progress. It might be worth reading Hedge height and light loss. The conclusion by the ASB officer was that they would write to warn to the neighbour about the noise nuisance but that they were not convinced there was a case to investigate or keep open any longer. Please tell us more about why our advice didn't help. As such, there was no maladministration in the way the landlord responded to the residents reports of noise nuisance. 020 8583 2000. Use this comments section to discuss problems you have had with Hounslow Council, or how they have handled your complaints. Email Customer Services on customerservice@hounslow.gov.uk, Call Out of hours emergency on 020 8583 2222. 18 May and 19 November 2020, the landlord made 22 visits to the property to assess noise in response to 50 reports of noise made by the resident. A statutory nuisance is a legal term and covers significant or unreasonable noise which stops you enjoying your property. This report is not an exhaustive description of all the events that have occurred in relation to this case, but an outline of the key issues as a background to the investigations findings. Registered charity number 279057 VAT number 726 0202 76 Company limited by guarantee. The Ombudsman considers the evidence and looks to see if there has been any maladministration, for example whether the landlord has failed to keep to the law, followed proper procedure, followed good practice or behaved in a reasonable and competent manner.