Helping our residents tackle nuisance behaviour is a key job for our housing officers and anti-social behaviour team. The highest volume of complaints we receive are about noise. Last year we opened 243 investigations into noise – everything from dogs barking and children playing to parties and large gatherings.
Tackling noise requires action on all sides, here are three things to consider if you find yourself being bothered by noise.
- Is it anti-social? The sound of children crying or a washing machine may be annoying, but ask yourself – is this behaviour anti-social? Lewisham Homes will normally only get involved where there are clear indications the noise being caused to create a nuisance.
- Have I spoken to my neighbour? Most of the time, someone creating a noise nuisance doesn’t realise they are upsetting people. We will usually expect you to have had a conversation with your neighbour about the issue before getting us involved. If you need help to have this conversation, we have a specialist (and free) mediation service who can support you through this process.
- Can I help with evidence? Lewisham Homes uses the Noise App, a free tool for you to record noise. We also have a professional witness service who can visit your home to independently verify noise. Ask your housing officer for information.
Most of our noise cases are resolved by helping neighbours talk to each other – but if there is a real issue, rest assured our housing and anti-social behaviour teams are here to support you.
