If you’re having issues with your neighbours, our Restorative Justice (RJ) team can help. To find out more on what that support looks like, read the story below. It’s just one of several real-life stories we’re sharing as part of Restorative Justice Week 2025.
The issue
Historically, Sarah* in Flat 1 and Tracy* in Flat 2 used to get on with each other. But things changed when Tracy got into a relationship – that’s when all of the arguing, swearing, screaming, shouting and slamming doors started in Tracy’s flat and within the communal area. She had a dog that barked all day long, too.
Sarah worked from home, so the noise really affected her, especially because her flat wraps around the communal area and shares walls with Flat 2. What’s more, the living rooms are right next to each other and Flat 1’s bedroom wall shares a wall with Flat 2’s kitchen. This made the noise issues unbearable for Sarah.
Because she could always hear Tracy and her partner arguing, Sarah became increasingly concerned about the couple’s welfare. She tried to talk to them about the noise several times, but it continued, only getting worse. Sarah was left with no other option but to get in touch us.
What we did
We asked one of our Tenancy Services Officers to visit Tracy and her partner, who were given four weeks to train their dog. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen, so the dog, which wasn’t allowed to live in the flat anyway, was rehomed with a family member.
A dedicated restorative justice conference was held, which let both parties sit down with each other and discuss the issues.
The outcome
During the conference, Sarah discovered that Tracy was in the process of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease – she had been experiencing symptoms for a while, which had led to a change in her behaviour. The Tenancy Services Officer referred Tracy to Alzheimer’s Disease support services, so that she had more support in place. Sarah was given the opportunity to chat through how the ongoing noise issues had affected her.
Thanks to the meeting and the information that was shared, Sarah came away with a better understanding of Tracy’s situation and the increased noise levels and disruptive behaviour. She was also more sympathetic to her neighbour’s situation while Tracy was more mindful of how her recent behaviour had impacted Sarah’s everyday life.
If you’re experiencing a difficult situation with a neighbour, we can step in and support you. In some situations, it can be helpful to have an unbiased person lead the conversation and make sure everyone involved gets to share their side of the story.
Read more about how Restorative Justice has helped our tenants here.
If you need to get in touch with our Restorative Justice team, please fill out the form on this page for a call back. Our RJ officer will have a confidential chat with you to help you decide if RJ is the right option for you.
You should only fill out this form if you are willing to have a meeting with your neighbour. If you are experiencing ASB and are not willing to have a meeting with your neighbour please visit our ASB Page to report ASB.
*Please note – tenant names have been changed to keep this story anonymous.
