It might be a good idea to buy the documents for your neighbours house too - they might give information thats not covered in yours. Rather, the Ombudsman seeks to establish whether a landlord has responded reasonably to reports made to it that are its responsibility to address and whether it acted in accordance with its relevant policies and procedures. The landlord. Hounslow includes the districts of Hounslow West, Heston, Cranford and Heathrow. It is bounded by Isleworth to the east, Twickenham to its south, Feltham to its west and Southall to its north. The landlord noted that, on its visit to the property on 24 February 2020, the resident. From disruptive planning permission to noise complaints, you can tackle the issue of nuisance neighbours though your local council. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. 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. 150 for its service failures when handling his complaints. This is set out in the Housing Act 1996 and the Housing Ombudsman Scheme (the Scheme). It kept happening and he was going around in circles. The resident advised that, the level of noise from the television continued and, kept him awake into the early hours which was having an impact on his work and mental health. It will take time for them to get a statement from your neighbour and arrange to visit the site. There were also instances of it not providing updates when promised. As at the date of its final response on 4 June 2021 the landlord advised the resident that its investigation into his ASB reports about his neighbour was ongoing. and report community problems like potholes, broken street lights, fly-tipping, litter, and dog fouling. If they want you to cut your tree or hedge just because they dont like the way it looks, its up to you whether you do the work. that the landlord failed to act appropriately or reasonably when handling the residents reports. the lack of action or engagement with other agencies during this timeframe was unreasonable. The landlord failed to follow its ASB policy in this regard. He had already raised his concerns previously and his safety was important. If you still cant agree, you can get help from a mediator - this is someone who doesnt know either of you and is trained to help people resolve disagreements. The document detailed the reasons for the referral as due to allegations of anti-social behaviour from residents. The landlords ASB policy also says it will maintain contact with the reported of ASB throughout the case who must be update on the progress of the investigation. More information on the cookies we set can be found in our cookie policy. We couldn't complain to the council as we owned the house and if we sold we would have to inform the new owners. This procedure also states that, f the noise levels are likely to constitute statutory nuisance, s policy provides for a two-stage complaints process, with timescales for a response of 15 working days at stage one and, working days at the final stage. This had not highlighted any noise concerns. Theres no set deadline for the council. If youre worried because you havent heard anything, you can contact the council to check progress. He said that he had been complaining for two years. 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. If youve taken the steps listed in Over the garden hedge and can answer yes to all the points listed below, the local council is likely to be able to consider your complaint. This is set out in the Housing Act 1996 and the Housing Ombudsman Scheme. You need to keep a log of all the incidents so you can accurately report the issue. The sub woofer is incredible on this system. On 4 May 2021, the resident asked the landlord to escalate his complaint to stage two. 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. Search for trees on your councils website to find which department to contact. If you receive a PCN, you can either pay the charge meted on you or challenge the fee through an appeal to the London borough of Hounslow council. In the event of an emergency, such as if your neighbour physically attacks you, always call 999. The resident is a tenant of the landlord and occupies a. ground-floor studio flat located in a block of flats. 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. Generally if the noise is loud and occurs often - especially at night - it can be considered unreasonable. So stick some Motorhead or Slayer on full blast and try and wake the bastard up Once again, thanks. The landlord also failed to sufficiently communicate with the resident in response to his ASB reports and did not provide information on the progress of its investigation. I have to say I am amazed how protected these people are. You can buy the documents from the Land Registry if you dont have them - it only costs a few pounds. The landlord discussed the allegations with the neighbour which he denied. Had to put up with druggies, noise, her washing machine used to go on at 1 in the morning as well as hoovering. 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. On receiving the residents report on 6 March 2020, the landlord interviewed the resident and asked him to complete incident diary sheets. The officer will also get other facts that they need to help them decide your complaint. The landlord assured the resident that a great deal of effort was involved in resolving the issues and the case was overseen at a senior level. The landlords notes reference that the neighbour had confirmed during this visit that he was burning paper in this flat. Definition of Hounslow in the Definitions.net dictionary. The landlord stated that it had checked its own records and spoken to other residents to ascertain if any corroborating noise reports could be found. Your feedback will help us give millions of people the information they need. Please see Over the garden hedge for information on the steps you should think about taking before you complain to the council. However, there is no evidence of the landlord explaining this to the resident which is reasonable to expect if that was the case. None of these visits recorded any evidence to prompt enforcement action. The resident, and others on his behalf contacted the landlord during July and August 2021 about the neighbours alleged behaviour and the fire risk. 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. Both the resident and the landlord have submitted information to the Ombudsman and this has been carefully considered. If their behaviour crosses into verbal abuse and intimidation that can be classed as antisocial behaviour. Having reviewed the landlords actions from the date of the residents initial reports of ASB made in March 2020 until the final response on 4 June 2021, whilst the neighbours ASB was not resolved during this timeframe, the landlord took some steps to address the issues being reported, as well as support the neighbour to maintain his tenancy as per its policy. We will deal with these as part of the Councils day to day business, rather than through our complaints process. It arranged a joint visit with its Fire Officer to inspect the neighbours flat the following week and requested a meeting with the neighbours care coordinator to discuss the incident. In accordance with paragraph 54 of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme, there was no maladministration by the landlord in its response to the residents reports of noise nuisance, The landlord made reasonable efforts to substantiate the residents reports of noise and. The landlords advice to the resident on 20 March 2020 that his neighbour had been taken to hospital that morning for treatment indicates it had been in communication with his care worker at this time. But in some cases the council will decide that its right to refund all or part of a fee. 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. It is a suburban development situated 10.6 miles west south-west of Charing Cross. All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. But the legislation doesnt allow councils to deal with every problem that might be caused by hedges. You cant be sure what the result will be. 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. The landlord did not log a complaint when the resident requested this in March 2020 showing it failed to follow its complaints policy. Its also worth finding out if your council can check if the tree is safe - you can find your councils website on GOV.UK. It also said it would keep him updated on the progress. If you rent your home, talk to your landlord about the problem. The landlord said it would contact him again in four weeks with an update. Sign in. Problems could include, for example, if you think a hedge is too high or branches from your neighbours tree are overhanging into your garden. It was working with other services to assess the residents vulnerability and explore the possibility of moving him to an alternative accommodation on a permanent basis. The legislation also allows councils to set and charge fees for handling these complaints. Advice can vary depending on where you live. They might ask the owner to make it safe or deal with it themselves. 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. 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. hat the landlord did fail to sufficiently communicate with the resident during the period of this review. Yesterday he blasted music from 3pm in the afternoon to 9.45am. It explained that the complaint process was not a means for punishing residents and it approached complaints impartially, based on the available evidence. The landlord emailed the resident on 12 August 2020 confirming that they had visited the neighbours flat. You can find contact details for Hounslow Council above. One that keeps some live or green leaves all year round. 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. Furthermore, the landlord spoke to the residents neighbour, September 2019 and January 2020, and it arranged mediation between the two parties on 24, February 2020. It did engage, after an incident involving the police and Fire brigade, owever at times there was little or no progression of the action plan despite on going reports from the resident. Hounslow is the principal town in the London Borough of Hounslow. Meaning of Hounslow. He said that he wanted reassurance that the case was high priority. On 30 April 2021, the landlord assessed whether it was proportionate to escalate the action it was taking against the neighbour taking into account his vulnerabilities. Police say this cannabis factory discovered in Knowle contained 80 plants. Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web! By the landlord. To help you test the strength of your case, it also might be worth reading High hedges complaints: prevention and cure. Further, that other neighbours said the noise was mainly in the evening and usually stopped at around 9 pm. hours number to the resident. Grade 2 cases include noise nuisance outside of permitted hours and verbal abuse. During the joint meetings that it had with the relevant agencies at the end of March and in April 2021, one of the actions identified was for the landlords HO to visit the neighbour to advise him of tenancy conditions; this happened on 30 April. I'm not knowledgeable when it comes to what can and can't be done by law, but it wouldn't hurt to. If you have tried and failed to resolve your neighbourly issue by talking to your neighbour you can approach your local council. NEIGHBOURLY disputes are not uncommon, with many of us struggling to agree with those living next door. 7 Bath Road. On 24 March 2021, the landlord provided an update to the resident. It also says it will contact/interview the alleged perpetrator notifying the reporter of the outcome. Welcome to the Digital Spy forums. 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 landlord advised the resident that it was working with other departments, and it had a meeting booked next week. Initial complaints should be directed to Hounslow Council directly. We had a similar issue with students that went on for about 11 months. On 13 September 2020, the resident provided the landlord with records of noise nuisance from 3 September to 12 September 2020. Search for trees to find which department to contact. the landlord took the other steps identified in its action plan at the time. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. 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. The resident replied to the landlord later. One of the most common neighbourly issues is excessive or unreasonable noise levels. Once theyve got all this information, the council will weigh it all up. We use cookies to ensure that we provide you with the best possible experience on our website. They might ask the owner to make it safe or deal with it themselves. It said if issues continued and legal action was required, it would require such evidence to support the legal case. If youre not sure what to do, you canget help at your nearest Citizens Advice. They must also think about effects on the neighbourhood. The property is a flat on the fourth floor of the building. On 30 April 2021, the landlord visited the neighbour to deliver him a warning letter stating he was breaching. The landlords ASB policy makes clear that it must do everything possible to resolve the issue using alternative remedies before considering tenancy action. 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 landlords handling of the residents reports concerning antisocial behaviour from his neighbour. On 13 April 2021, the neighbour made a self-referral for support. In accordance with paragraph 54 of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme, there was no maladministration by the landlord in its response to the residents reports of noise nuisance. agreed for it to bring the upstairs neighbour to his property to observe the noise generated by her television downstairs. We use cookies to improve your experience of our website. We used to go to work shattered. Pets that bark or squawk loudly and constantly can fall under this but a new-born baby crying is unlikely to be classed as a statutory nuisance. The landlords file notes confirm that on 16 April 2021 it had a further joint meeting with the relevant support teams to discuss progress with the action plan. You can make a complaint, like I did before and nothing happens. Here is a summary of privacy when using this chat. contact him about his complaints, but they were never resolved, and he was in the same position with no changes. You can appeal to the independent Planning Inspectorate. Most of Hounslow, including its Town Centre, the area south of the railway station and the localities of Lampton and Spring Grove, falls under the TW3 postcode. Call Out of hours emergency on 020 8583 2222. Breaking the abatement order can result in fines up to 5,000 or up to 20,000 for a factory or business. The Ombudsman considers the evidence and looks to see if there has been any 'maladministration', for example . The Housing Ombudsmans approach to investigating and determining complaints is to decide what is fair in all the circumstances of the case. The resident said that he had previously mentioned this serious and dangerous behaviour to the landlord and so far, no action had been taken. The out of hours service is designed for emergencies only. This is set out in the Housing Act 1996 and the Housing Ombudsman Scheme (the Scheme). COMPLAINT 202001964 Hounslow Council 25 January 2021 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. You don't mention if this person rents the property or is a lease holder. The council cant get involved in helping you get back the fee that youve paid and certainly cant force your neighbour to repay you. To what extent does the hedge block light or views, even if there are gaps in the greenery or between the trees or shrubs? The right hedge can be an ideal garden boundary but the wrong hedge may bring problems. Live in London (or any major UK city) then expect noise. Your hedge might count as a high hedge if its over 2 metres - check the definition on the Royal Horticultural Society website. While he agreed with mediation as a way forward, he contended that this should have been agreed in advance and not on the day of the visit. The landlord advised that it saw insufficient grounds to escalate the complaint to the final stage as there was no further investigation that c, be carried out and escalation was unlikely. a barrier to light or access (even if there are gaps)? This notice sets out what must be done to the hedge and when it must be done by. 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. Please do not post any personal information relating to yourself, or employees of Hounslow Council as these comments will not be approved. When theyve got both sides of the story, a council officer will visit the site to look at the hedge and its surroundings. 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. We got fobbed off or ignored by the council being told it was his right, they couldn't make him homeless. 2023 Hearst UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 30 Panton Street, Leicester Square, London, SW1Y 4AJ. You can cut them yourself but you must try to limit the amount of damage to the tree, which can be difficult to do. To help us improve GOV.UK, wed like to know more about your visit today. That may include the date and time of the incident and how it affected them. The landlord will then open an ASB case and send the reporter a letter acknowledging the report. Welcome back Edit Account-Sign Out. Read what we're saying about a range of issues. The council can order your neighbour to take action to stop the problems with the hedge happening again. Listen, and request some time to think about the problem and measures you intend to take. If youd like to join in, please sign in or register. The landlords antisocial behaviour (ASB) procedure, states that reports of noise should be investigated by the landlord if it cannot be resolved informally by the resident. This is set out in the Housing Act 1996 and the Housing Ombudsman Scheme (the Scheme). Such an offence is punishable with a fine of up to 1,000. Dont worry we wont send you spam or share your email address with anyone. On 19 January 2021, the resident reported. This also states that if. These were reasonable efforts made by it to witness the noise reports he made. The council may use the governments guidance to help them decide what could be the best height for the hedge. On 14 May 2020, the resident contacted the landlord to report further instances of loud music and banging early in the morning. You can contact the council if you think your neighbour isnt acting in accordance with this notice. Is the hedge: Does this hedges height harm the reasonable enjoyment of a home you own or occupy and/or its garden or yard? You can ask the council how long they expect all this to take. Here is a summary of privacy when using this chat. 60 councillors are elected from 20 wards, with by-elections held to fill any vacancies between elections. We use cookies to ensure that we provide you with the best possible experience on our website. It may also have information on how to make your complaint, any fee you may need to pay and which department handles complaints. I feel very unwell from the lack of sleep. Hounslow Council complaints contacts. This means your noisy neighbour must stop making the noise or face legal action. He said the matter was urgent and he requested that the landlord take action or evict his neighbour. It asserted that it had appropriately arranged for the resident to meet with his neighbour to discuss the issue. Now the whole street can enjoy my bass. They might, for example, make sure that your complaint is handled by someone who isnt responsible for maintaining the hedge. confirmed it was still working with the neighbour. Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. If you dont feel comfortable speaking to them, write a letter or ask someone to contact them for you. 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. As no significant noise was heard, they agreed to exchange telephone numbers to communicate about any future noise concerns. This can also cover artificial light or a build up of rubbish that could possibly cause harm. He said he was concerned about calling the Councils Enforcement team as he did not want to jeopardise his or his familys safety. This Investigation will not consider the landlords handling of the events in 2018 as they were not raised as a formal complaint until March 2020 which is more than six months after the events occurred, as the Ombudsman expects formal complaints to be made within a reasonable period of the matter arising which is usually six months. On 29 May 2020, the landlord replied to the resident apologising for the noise he was experiencing. This guide and the related spreadsheet can help you work out whether an evergreen hedge is blocking too much daylight and sunlight to your home or garden. This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. I get the feeling they fear this noisy neighbour enough to give him a wide birth but not me. During the investigation, the ASB Team and HO worked with the police and other agencies to find a resolution to the issues raised about noise nuisance from the neighbour. We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly. The council should decide whether the hedge is adversely affecting your reasonable enjoyment of your property and, if so, what action (if any) should be taken to put right the situation or stop it happening again. If youre having trouble writing the complaint, a relative or friend or Citizens Advice may be able to help. It said it appreciated that the issues were reported over 12 months previously, but they had not yet been resolved. The complaint was logged with the Housing Officer in August 2020. We did make a few anonymous calls to the drug police. There are different ways to deal with the problem depending on who owns the tree or hedge. On 8 June 2020, the resident reported that there had been a burning smell coming from his neighbours flat the day before; they could not breath while. On 4 June 2021, the landlord provided a stage two final response. Housing Neighbour nuisance and anti-social behaviour Speak Neighbour nuisance and anti-social behaviour This fact sheet is aimed primarily at people having problems getting the council to deal with anti-social behaviour near their homes and who may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. warn to the neighbour about the allegations as well as contact the police. If the dispute arises from lifestyle differences and no tenancy breach is found, then it shall offer mediation. Use FixMyStreet.com to Contact your local council. Well send you a link to a feedback form. Mohammed Ali Khan, 45, of Thornbury Road, was found guilty of instructing a contractor to demolish a building without notifying the Local Authority as required by section 80(2) of the Building Act 1984 after a trial at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on February 3. Its actions were appropriate with no delays or service failures. Further, here were complex issues relating to GDPR so it was unable to discuss matters relating to the neighbour. Having reviewed the actions taken it was satisfied that the case was managed satisfactorily. Therefore, from March to June 2020, apart from contacting the resident to discuss the issues and asking him to complete diary sheets, there is a lack of evidence to demonstrate the landlord properly assessed or investigated the residents reports despite agreeing that it would. 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 seen evidence that the ASB officer discussed the situation with his care worker. If they were to smell the cannabis themselves, they might knock on the door and broach the subject that way. You can find your councils website on GOV.UK. Hounslow Council was the subject of more than 100 complaints and enquiries to the ombudsman about its actions last year, new figures show. He followed this up with further reports on 17 and 18 March 2020 advising of hammering noises. It might be worth reading Hedge height and light loss. You can complain to the council if you think theyve done something wrong, failed to provide a service or not followed correct procedures. Serves them right, even though they could not sleep, they were all too limp to report someone they feared. If someone breaks an abatement order about noise from their home, they can be fined up to 5,000. 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. Shortly afterwards, the landlord undertook a risk assessment and began engaging with other agencies about what action could be taken to address the situation. In accordance with paragraph 54 of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme, there was maladministration by the landlord in respect of its handling of the residents reports concerning ASB from his neighbour. Citizens Advice is an operating name of the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux. Bloody disgrace. It advised that there was an ongoing investigation about the issues he has raised. In a reply on the same date, the landlord advised it would start the investigation immediately and the resident would be kept up to date with their progress. the landlord made a safeguarding referral in respect of the neighbour. i think you only have to inform a purchaser if there is an actual dispute and its within the last 12 months. Email Customer Services on customerservice@hounslow.gov.uk. 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.
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