Halifax Home Insurance is asking people to act responsibly if they find themselves have dealing with neighbours who are a nuisance.
Martyn Foulds, senior claims manager at the organisation, made his comments following the release of a survey which revealed that 17 per cent of homeowners have had to deal with serious disputes with people living next door to them this year.
Mr Foulds advised people in such a situation to act calmly, or wait until the next day if a neighbour causes a serious disturbance, even though he stated that people have the option of taking legal action as well if they feel it is necessary. He added: “It’s a good idea to develop a dialogue with your neighbours, so that if a problem does arise, it won’t be the first time you’ve spoken to them.”
The survey was part of Halifax’s Peace of Mind report, which also found that the most common problem is excessive noise, which accounted for 49 per cent of complaints.