Nuisance Neighbours

AWOL_2

I have a property which was next to disused shop for 10plus years. The shop has just re-opened recently and as a result it is attracting unsavory visitors.

Visitors to the shop are hanging outside either on the pavement or in their cars playing loud music. The street is double yellow lines but they appear to have no regard for the traffic laws.

My tennants are not too pleased with the new occupants next door and more than likely as soon as their tennency is over they will move on. I will probably have difficulties renting this out again.

My main causes of complaint are - there are residents in the area and the shop/commercial use is not appropriate for the area anymore.
The shop attracts undesirables that hang around on the pavement making people feel uncomfortable as they walk by.
Customers park on double yellow lines
Customers play loud music from their cars
Shop is open long hours and plays music.

What can i do to try and reduce the Nuisance they are causing? I have tried speaking to the tennants of the shop who just basically said they will do what they want. does the landlord owe a duty of care towards who they rent the property out to and if they cause neighbours Nuisance can i take action against the landlord of the property?

Thanks

olly300

Double yellow lines - you or one of your tenants should find a council parking attendent and inform them there are people who they can ticket at all times of the day. This then may decrease the other problems.

Noise- should keep a diary and then contact the council enviromental health department.

What kind of shop is it? If it sells alcohol then then you need to find the licensee which is displayed somewhere on the building i.e. above the door, and with the noise diary make a complaint to the council about the opening hours.

AWOL_2

Thanks Olly

Its a barbers shop... i have made a complaint to the council about the noise and yellow lines.. will have to wait and see what happens. I agree i suspect that if they stop parking this will help decreae the other associated problems.

Anyone know if i can bring action against the landlord of the property due to the fact that his tennants are causing the Nuisance ?

littlesaint

I thought it might be a barbers shop when I read your first post. There's a place just like it near mine. Thankfully it closes about nine but you get loads of guys hanging round outside with cans of beer - i thought that was what a pub is for. They all need girlfriends!

PasturesNew

Crikey - who'd have thought a barber's shop were such a popular place to hang out.
I thought it would turn out to be a car accessories place, also selling car stereos etc.
Maybe they're running a knocking shop round the back!

AWOL_2

ha...

I didnt mention the type of business being carried out as i thought other moneysavers would have similar experiences.

Its a barbers shop which attacts various age rangers and i have my suspision its probably a front for dealing as in my oppinion no barber shop is that busy throughout the day. ha... but i have a suspicious mind.

Seriously.. what can i do to get this place to either close or sort its act out. Its making my life hell at the moment, and i am really concerned that its going to affect my ability to rent this property in the future.

Thanks

PasturesNew

Well, it's tricky if you aren't living there, but you could find out how many barbers are in there. Then do a head count and timing of customers.... see if your suspicions and the maths work out.

1 barber. 40 customers per hour in there for 2 minutes each = not possible
2 barbers, 12 customers per hour in there for 10 minutes each = possible but must only be doing trims

Also - repeat visitors.... car number plates. How often are you seeing them?
Nobody has their hair cut 3 times a week, or even every fortnight.

AWOL_2

I love that suggestion... work out if they are really cutting that much hair...

Anyway like you said as i dont live there it is difficult to monitor with any degree of accuracy but love your suggestion regardless

littlesaint

I've wondered that about the place near me. There are often people sitting in cars parked nearby and some of the people who hang out there, well let's just say they regularly seem to be around during normal working hours. They must have very high maintanence hair!

olly300

PasturesNew wrote: »

Also - repeat visitors.... car number plates. How often are you seeing them?
Nobody has their hair cut 3 times a week, or even every fortnight.

I know men and boys who get their haircut every fornight. But then I know some vain people. Mind you their barbershops were very quiet.

Seriously OP if you can work out what illegal activity is going on the police may be interested if it makes their crime clean up figures look good. I've happened to stumble across two completely different places and seen the police catch drug dealers.

Maybe one of the best courses of action is to pay it a visit yourself if you are male and they don't know your face.

pcwilkins

AWOL wrote: »

I have a property which was next to disused shop for 10plus years. The shop has just re-opened recently and as a result it is attracting unsavory visitors.

What did you want them to do, put up a sign --- "savory visitors only"?

Visitors to the shop are hanging outside either on the pavement or in their cars playing loud music. The street is double yellow lines but they appear to have no regard for the traffic laws.

Not really the shop tenant's fault, is it?

My tennants are not too pleased with the new occupants next door and more than likely as soon as their tennency is over they will move on. I will probably have difficulties renting this out again.

Maybe you'll have to reduce the rental price?

My main causes of complaint are - there are residents in the area and the shop/commercial use is not appropriate for the area anymore.

You mean shops shouldn't be allowed in residential areas? Or should they only be allowed where they don't affect the rental value of your property?

The shop attracts undesirables that hang around on the pavement making people feel uncomfortable as they walk by.

Even if this was the shop tenant's fault, it's hardly illegal to "hang around on the pavement" or to make people feel "uncomfortable". In any case, I doubt they are meaning to make people feel uncomfortable --- it's not their fault how people feel!

Customers park on double yellow lines
Customers play loud music from their cars

Neither of which are the shop's fault.

Shop is open long hours and plays music.

If the shop is producing excessive noise, the council might help. But they might just argue that if you buy a property next to a retail unit --- whether the unit is currently in use or not --- you can't reasonably expect the same level of peace and quiet as you would with a property that is not next to a shop.

What can i do to try and reduce the nuisance they are causing? I have tried speaking to the tennants of the shop who just basically said they will do what they want.

What did you ask them to do, stop attracting customers?

does the landlord owe a duty of care towards who they rent the property out to and if they cause neighbours Nuisance can i take action against the landlord of the property?

On what grounds could you take action? As far as I can see the shop tenants have done very little wrong. Perhaps you will just have to accept that the reopening of the shop has reduced the rental value of your property. Sorry!

Peter