Results of our Anti-social neighbours survey revealed

Anti-social neighbours drive a million

householders out of home.

Find out more…

Results of our Anti-social neighbours survey revealed

Our research revealed:

• Nearly a million Britons have been forced to move house as a result of a neighbour feud.

• Common causes of disputes include• Home and garden maintenance issues (27%)• Excessive noise (15%)• Arguments over boundaries (7%)• Stolen parking spaces (7%) • Trespassing children (6%)

•18% of Britons have been in a dispute with their neighbours in the past year alone.

• Nearly a third of Britons (27%) rarely speak to their neighbours and 14% of us don’t know the names of the people living in our immediate vicinity.

Results of our Anti-social neighbours survey revealed

Our research revealed:

• One in seven people (16%) have had a verbal argument with a neighbor in the past, and a small number of disputes (2%) have even ended in violence.

• Feuding neighbours are instead turning to the authorities to solve the problems for them - close to a fifth of people (18%) have reported their neighbours to the police or local council.

• Without a quick resolution arguments can easily escalate, with Briton’s paying out a collective £100 million in the last year alone in an attempt to rectify a neighbour dispute.

• More than 12% believe that having easy access to legal advice could help them solve a neighbourhood dispute.

Results of our Anti-social neighbours survey revealed

CPP’s tips to avoid neighbour disputes:

1. Play your part – keep your garden and surrounding areas tidy and free of rubbish, this way people in your neighbourhood will respect you for showing them and their community consideration.

2. Keep them updated – Make sure you keep your neighbour informed of anything that may disturb them – for instance building work or a house party. This will help maintain good relations between you and will encourage them to let you know of anything they’ve planned that you may find a nuisance.

3. Lend a hand – Offer to pick up your neighbour’s papers and keep an eye on their place when they are away, letting them know that you’ll contact them if you see anything awry or suspicious near their house. This will let your neighbour know they can trust and rely on you, and they may also return the favour

Results of our Anti-social neighbours survey revealed

CPP’s tips to avoid neighbour disputes:

4. Be a good neighbour yourself – If your neighbour is behaving erratically it might be because of something you’re doing – for example the sound of you walking around may be deafening to the flat below. Try talking to them about their issues.

5. Invite them in – If there is a particular issue with your neighbour and you’re on speaking terms, try inviting them into your home so they can experience the issues you’re having and understand how it’s affecting you (how loud their music sounds in your house for example).

6. Purchase legal assistance – products such as Your Law from CPP offer support, advice and guidance on a whole range of legal matters including employment issues, personal injury, parking fines, cowboy builders and how to return faulty goods.

Results of our Anti-social neighbours survey revealed

To help solve the problems between Britain’s feuding neighbours, CPP is calling on consumers to make sure they are gaining the correct legal advice.

Alasdair MacSporran, Head of Your Law at CPP said: “It’s always worth speaking to your neighbours about any concerns you have before issues escalate and get out of hand. Knowing your legal rights and responsibilities, and being on the right side of the law, is always useful, however, as it could influence – and temper – what you say at the beginning.”

Visit our website for more information on legal advice.

Results of our Anti-social neighbours survey revealed

Research Methodology

ICM interviewed a random sample of 2028 adults aged 18+ online between 15th – 16th June 2011. Surveys were conducted across the country and the results have beenweighted to the profile of all adults. ICM is a member of the British Polling Council andabides by its rules. Further information at www.icmresearch.co.uk

1. According to research conducted for CPP by ICM, 5% of people who have had a dispute with a neighbour have moved house as a result. This equates to 914,000 people.

2. According to the ICM research, the average cost to rectify a situation with a neighbour is £60.41. In the last 12 months, 4% of people have had a dispute with a neighbourwhich cost them money - the total adult (18+) population in Great Britain is 47,400,000. 4% of these equates to 1,678,000. 1,678,000 * £60.51 = £101,519,000