UK Landlord Forum / Life

Hello all 

I have some awesome tenants in my property but they are being bothered by a couple of 'neighbour things':-

1)  the constant barking of the dog next door.  I have also been round and heard this (it never stops!) and they are also now sending me recordings of the dog barking.  I did tell them about 2 months ago to start keeping a log of times/duration etc.  This they have been doing.

2) Meanwhile the house on the other side - the family start shouting at each other from about 1am - the Dad in particular.  Apparently he shouts and screams and all my tenants can hear (besides this) is doors banging and crashing.  Again, I have asked them to keep a log and they have been doing this, to the best of my knowledge.  The family are also tenants of another Landlord who I have no knowledge of, or contact options.

Both the above are causing my tenants quite a great deal of stress and one of them has gone to the Doctor claiming her mental health is being affected.  They both have to be up at 4am for work (not the point I know), so are getting little sleep due to the dog barking all day and evening and the family shouting through the early hours!

I really do NOT want to lose such amazing tenants (and what hope if I get replacements?!) and just wondered:-

Who complains?  The tenants or myself?

I did say the best course of action (re: the dog) would be to speak to the neighbour as I always had a good relationship with her when I lived there.  However the tenants seem reluctant.  The next course of action would be to contact the council.

I really don't mind having a word with the neighbour (the dog one!) about it, but I just want to make sure I am not overstepping my mark here and that it should be the tenants themselves?

Are there any rules/guidelines on this?

As for the family next door - I don't think any of us should speak to them (I've seen them and they look, well.... how to say it, really?....), but that the council should be informed.  Again, I'd like to know - can I do this (can you tell I want to - really want to!) or do the tenants have to do it?

I want to sort this out for them as a matter of urgency.  Nobody should have to put up with this.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

Thank you

You are a Landlord. You're not the parents of either your Tenants or their neighbours. My advice would be that you always leave it to them. How will they ever survive in life if they get their own place? Would they consider calling you in then, too? You're not the fourth emergency service, after all.

You want to sort this out for them, you say. You're already mentally half-way there to considering yourself as their parent / keeper / super-hero-on-call. Tenants are not helpless feeble people as a matter of course, right?

Do they ask you to change light bulbs for them? I've been there myself... but, admittedly, it was a very difficult to handle IP-rated recessed GU10... somewhat understandable.

Distance yourself from the situation as much as possible.  It's nothing to do with you and not your responsibility. 

White Wolf is, already, way too involved and appears to have a desire to get embroiled further. It was not missed, either, that these awesome Tenants seem to have a problem with all their neighbours... so maybe the problem could actually lay elsewhere?

Great advice, thank you.  I knew I could rely on some 'tough talking' but also some brutally honest advice here.

I was mainly worried that I was 'shirking' my duties/responsibility or 'passing the buck' in telling them it was 'their problem', when it could have been mine.  This is why I was asking the question here.

In addition, I am concerned that they will move out (a definite possibility, hence my informative original post) leaving me with no tenants and the problem will re-occur with the next tenants. I would hope that any Landlord here would share those kind of concerns regarding their property/properties  - i.e. where your money and business is potentially affected?

This wasn't about me at all.  It was me with my business head on, not my emotional one.  However as a Landlord I do want my tenants to be happy in my property - and stay!.  I may be unique or wrong in this, perhaps?

I do not want to lose business.  For this reason I am concerned (as well as being a compassionate soul  ).

Agree with all you say, but rest assured you are not shirking any responsibilities / obligations and you really must not mollycoddle your Tenants. There's enough going on - usually - without us intentionally getting involved in what is their private lives. If a complaint is to be made to the authorities (you'd expect I mean the Council by that) then I don't see how a complaint being made by someone who doesn't even live there is going to be beneficial to the situation... much better that they make a complaint themselves, if they decide to. I think you making a complaint, kinda on their behalf, would just muddy the waters and it might not even be accepted.

Tenants will always move on... either to another property, or to what lies beyond... (nothing).

Re. protecting your own interests and maintaining your levels of compassion... offer them a rent reduction for the inconvenience? 

No, I'm joking. Increase their rent instead!

In all this, I feel most for the dog. The dog doesn't know, it has been badly let down by its owners... but if a complaint is made against it, you can bet it is the dog that will suffer more... even though it is the one that is suffering now. Poor dog. Good luck... try to resist becoming entangled on this 'hook'.

Annoying neighbours are annoying and even more so when they force your tenants out.  There are proper channels for an individual to try and get things sorted out, asking the landlord, who is powerless, is not one of those channels.  My old neighbours were horrible, vile dirty pigs of people which I only found out after buying and moving in.  Thankfully they had their house repossessed.

This is good advice (again), thanks guys.

I knew I could come here and get the 'black or white' view.

I'll keep my big nose out and advice them on the proper/official channels. 

Thanks again 

PS - that dog is horrible.  I don't feel sorry for it at all.  If you saw it you wouldn't either