Women

Problems with neighbours can cause extreme stress, force people to move house, or even drive model citizens to break the law. You want to enjoy your garden but the blast from next door's hi-fi is making it impossible. Do you try to ignore it, shout over the fence or retaliate with louder music? Find out the best tactics to use.

Talk about it

One in 14 households has reported their neighbours to the police and one in 25 has threatened to take them to court. But, according to Tony Billinghurst, director of the voluntary organisation Mediation UK, resorting to the law is slow, expensive and often unsatisfactory. "It's worth asking neighbours if they'll go through voluntary mediation first," he says. "It's usually free and around 90 per cent achieve a lasting agreement."

First steps to a ceasefire

Explain the problem to your neighbour and how it's affecting you. Listen to what your neighbour says, as this helps to create a good atmosphere. Don't shout, threaten or use verbal abuse, and avoid calling in the authorities, as this may exacerbate the situation.

Conciliation can work

Avoid retaliation tactics, which will damage the relationship. If you think tempers may become frayed, write rather than meet. Put any agreements in writing and include what each of you has agreed to do. If a group of you has a problem with a particular neighbour, ask the Citizens' Advice Bureau to help co-ordinate your response, or contact your local council for details of a free mediation service.

The sound of silence

Up to 60 per cent of complaints about neighbours are noise-related. The first step is to convince your neighbour that the noise is unreasonable. If that doesn't work, your local environmental health officer will monitor the noise and recommend keeping a diary detailing when you're disturbed. The council may then serve an abatement notice, forbidding further noise nuisance or limiting it to certain times. If the neighbour disregards this notice, they can be fined.

Stay off my land!

Boundary disputes between neighbours can be the hardest to solve. Check the property details (at HM Land Registry/Registers of Scotland) or examine the lease. These should show the boundary but may not be conclusive. The Citizens' Advice Bureau may ask the Chartered Surveyors' Voluntary Scheme to provide advice. If there is a case, approach your neighbour directly or get a solicitor to write, asking them to return the boundary to its original position.

First published in Woman & Home magazine: See the latest

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