Problem Neighbour - any advice?

kboss2010

We have a neighbouring flat that is being let by the local council from a private landlord & their new “tenant” is an absolute nightmare.

She’s obviously a drug addict, ever since she moved in, the hallways constantly smell of “exotic cigarettes”, she’s clearly paranoid b/c she’s always peering out of her door at people when she hears the neighbours on the stairs, I regularly hear her screaming down her phone from another floor to someone (dealer/boyfriend - who the heck knows!)& yesterday I arrived home to find her sitting on the communal stairs (where she sat for several hours), barely communicative to any of the neighbours, unable to stand & a complete zombie (I’m assuming she was on more than just the “cigarettes”!) - phoned 101 to be told that she’s locked herself out of her flat & so they sent a council worker round to break into her flat & change the locks - cue an hour of loud banging at 9pm!

She’s becoming a nuisance & there are a couple of young families in our block who don’t need to be coming home to find a spaced-out zombie on their stairs!

We don’t know who owns the flat as, until recently, it was an AirBnB.

Has anyone dealt with a problem like this with a council tenant in a privately-rented flat? Or are we stuck with a drugged-up, Hall-roaming banshee as a neighbour for the foreseeable future?:mad:

AndyMc.....

If she's a council tennant contact the council.

Contact environmental health about the noise.

Until she's evicted or moves on of her own accord you're stuck with her.

kboss2010

Thanks for the response.

I’m not sure who ultimately is responsible for a council tenant in a private property, hence wondering if anyone has experience with this type of problem.

As a kid, I remember my grandparents (who lived in a council house) having neighbours moved due to noise complaints but I’m unfamiliar with the process & it’s a slightly different situation.

andygb

kboss2010 wrote: »

Thanks for the response.

I’m not sure who ultimately is responsible for a council tenant in a private property, hence wondering if anyone has experience with this type of problem.

As a kid, I remember my grandparents (who lived in a council house) having neighbours moved due to noise complaints but I’m unfamiliar with the process & it’s a slightly different situation.

What an absolute nightmare, I don't envy you.
I sometimes wonder if the authorities who house these people, just don't care about the effect they have on "normal" folk who live next to them.

kboss2010

I do feel sorry for her, she belongs in rehab not shoved in a flat & forgotten about, but she clearly isn’t getting any help and I have a hard time believing that *anyone* in authority can’t recognise on-sight that she’s an habitual drug user - I’ve never seen her “sober” & I’ve only actually seen her a handful of times!

And in the meantime, we have to deal with her craziness & the smell!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m fine with the students downstairs smoking the odd thing, I just object to having an obvious addict with a key to the front door, not least b/c what happens if she nods off with one in her hand & sets the place alight?

HampshireH

When you say "council tenant" do you mean someone on the housing register who has been provided accommodation by a private landlord temporarily whilst waiting a property.

Or

The landlord has leased the property to the council & this tenant has been moved in off the housing register permanently.

I'm curious how you know?

If the 1st then it is likely she could be the 1st of many. Councils usually have a number of properties used as temporary accommodation as a stop gap for people who are homeless or in urgent need of emergency accommodation before being permanently housed.

Either way. Reporting her is the only way to sort it out. Its also not a quick process unless she chooses to leave.

silvercar

I will move this to the Housing Board, where you will hopefully receive some more replies.

kboss2010

HampshireH wrote: »

When you say "council tenant" do you mean someone on the housing register who has been provided accommodation by a private landlord temporarily whilst waiting a property.

Or

The landlord has leased the property to the council & this tenant has been moved in off the housing register permanently.

I'm curious how you know?

If the 1st then it is likely she could be the 1st of many. Councils usually have a number of properties used as temporary accommodation as a stop gap for people who are homeless or in urgent need of emergency accommodation before being permanently housed.

Either way. Reporting her is the only way to sort it out. Its also not a quick process unless she chooses to leave.

Thanks.

I’m not sure which of the two it is but we have a communal mailbox & there have been a lot of letters from the council going to that address suddenly. She also clearly doesn’t have a job as she spends all day in her flat off her face. She’s been there for a few months so I don’t know if she’s permanent.

Murphybear

I am very sympathetic having had neighbours from hell. We rented a house and next door owned theirs. We complained about their noise once in nearly 10 years and the neighbour threatened my OH with physical violence so we moved.

However I do wonder if this tenant has a lot of problems other than being a junkie. From what I have read on this board councils don't house single people unless they have young children or major health issues.

If she is being noisy have you kept a diary of it? The council will want some sort of record of what is happening.

I hope you can get it resolved

BlackBird75

I would check the land registry to find out the name of owner of the flat, who would presumably be the landlord.
I would then contact them directly and explain the problems with the tenant.

If the landlord is unwilling to help, I would advise the landlord that you will be contacting their insurance company (to inform them the tenant is a fire hazard, probably has a criminal record etc). I would also tell the landlord you plan to contact their mortgage company, to check they have consent to let (or a BTL) mortgage.

I would also tell the landlord you plan to inform HMRC the flat is being let, just in case the landlord has "forgotten" to declare their rental income. I'm sure HMRC wouldn't mind checking their records, just in case.

All this should only cost you a few pounds to do.
I wouldn't bother with the council for now. They know the tenant is a nightmare, because they put her there. The council won't help you. Focus on hassling the landlord.

I would also contact the police and the electricity provider. Explain the tenant is a drug addict and may well start trying to bypass the electricity meter, potentially to start growing cannabis. The police won't do anything, but the electricity company will hopefully keep a closer eye (because it may be in their financial interest). The reason for contacting the police is so you can put that in your letter to the electricity company. Gives it a bit more weight, potentially.

If the tenant does start a fire in the future, at least you can try claiming the authorities were negligent. Clutching at straws, but you've nothing to lose. At least your insurer could potentially recover losses from theirs.

Once you've succeeded in locating the landlord, I would then pass his contact details on to everyone else in the block. Just in case they would also like to discuss the matter with him/her.

theartfullodger

You should follow citizens advice guidance on neighbour disputes.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/problems-where-you-live/complaining-about-your-neighbour/

And log any & all incidents & report anything slightly possibly criminal to Police, get CRNs each time.


Ask this charming neighbour if they have a support worker. If so try via them also.