How to resolve a neighbour dispute

This advice applies to Scotland. See advice for See advice for England, See advice for Northern Ireland, See advice for Wales

Approach your neighbour

If you feel comfortable, you should approach your neighbour to discuss the problem. However, you shouldn't approach your neighbour if they have acted with threats, violence or harassment. Instead you should contact your local council or call the police.

To resolve a dispute, you can:

  • speak to your neighbour - take a note of the time and date you spoke to them, in case you need it for evidence later.

  • write your neighbour a letter, if you haven't been able to speak to them.

Describe the problem and the action you'd like them to take. If appropriate, you should also explain when you'd like them to resolve the problem by and what you'll do to help.

Think about what you're asking your neighbour to do. The more reasonable you are, the more likely it is that they will take action.

If you’re writing a letter, you can use  our template letter 126 KB  to guide you. Remember to keep a copy of any letter you send.

Talk to your neighbour's landlord

If your neighbour is a tenant, you can talk to their landlord. This could be the local council, a housing association or a private landlord.

Get support from a residents' or tenants' association 

If there's a residents' or tenants' association where you live, you could get their support. If more people complain, the conflict will be less personal and you're more likely to be successful. To find your local residents' or tenants' association, contact your local council. Find your local council on mygov.scot.

Get help from a mediation service

Mediators are independent and will listen to both sides to help you reach an agreement.

You might have to pay for mediation, depending on the provider. Let them know if you're on a low income as you might be eligible for a reduced rate. 

You can find a trained mediator through Scottish Mediation.

SACRO also provides community mediation services. You can find out if there's a local service on the SACRO website.

Contact your local council

The local council can help to solve disputes between neighbours - even if the neighbours are not living in local council housing.

Contact a local councillor or MSP

You can contact a local councillor or a member of the Scottish parliament (MSP) if you haven't been able to resolve your dispute by speaking to your neighbour or the council.

You can find out who your local councillors are on GOV.UK. Find out who your MSP is on the Scottish Parliament website.

You can use this example letter to contact your local councillor or MSP 122 KB . You can send this letter in the post or attached it to an email. Remember to keep a copy of any letter you send. 

It might also be possible to give details of the dispute to the councillors sitting on a relevant committee, for example the planning committee, if there’s been a breach of planning regulations.

Contact the police

You can contact the police if a criminal offence is being committed - for example, if your neighbour is:

  • being violent or harassing you - find out more about the action police can take against antisocial behaviour

  • making excessive noise - the police can visit the neighbour or issue fines to people who have failed to stop the noise after being asked to do so, or they can confiscate sound producing equipment.

If you're not sure whether what your neighbour is doing is a crime, contact your local council, phone 101 or contact your local police station for advice.

You can find out more about nuisance neighbours on the Police Scotland website.

Consult a lawyer

You can send your neighbour a letter from a solicitor to show that you're serious about your complaint.

A letter from a solicitor might help to explain the legal position in a dispute, for example if neighbours can't agree about the position of a boundary.

However, it can be expensive to seek legal advice. Find out more about using a solicitor.

Legal action should be a last resort after you've tried speaking to your neighbour and taking action through your local council. Going to court might resolve the dispute but damage your relationship with your neighbours. It's also expensive unless you're eligible for legal aid or are using the simple procedure.

For example, if you can prove that your neighbour owes you money and the debt is less than £5,000, you might be able to take court action without using a lawyer by using the simple procedure.

If you're thinking of taking court action for a neighbour dispute, you should consult an experienced adviser, for example at a Citizens Advice Bureau. An adviser can't give you legal advice but can give information on how to find legal advice and help you to find out if you're eligible for legal aid.