We hope you will enjoy your home and that you will be a good neighbour to the people you are moving/living next to.

Residents often contact us to complain about their neighbours. This Good Neighbour Charter contains simple points that you should follow to make sure that both you and your neighbours live happily together.

You can do this by:

• not doing anything that annoys your neighbours
• keeping the house and gardens neat and tidy
• keeping clean and tidy any common areas you have a joint responsibility for

Noise

Your neighbour's lifestyle may be different from yours and too much noise may annoy them. Just because you never hear your neighbours does not mean that your home is totally soundproof. It means that your neighbours act in a responsible way and think about what they are doing. You can do the same by:

• limiting how loud your TV/radio or stereo is
• using your washing machine/tumble drier at sociable hours
• control your dogs barking.

Please keep your noise down. It is important to remember that raised voices,shouting and screaming can easily be heard. If you shout at your partner or children it is likely that your neighbour will hear every detail of your domestic situation.
If you are disturbed by noise try to speak to your neighbour about it in a friendly manner. They may not be aware that it is causing you a problem.

Children

Please keep track of where your children are. If you cannot see them, they may be causing a nuisance to your neighbours. We provide gardens and play areas for your children to use. To be a good neighbour, make sure that your children play in your garden. Other residents may find it annoying to always be pestered by other people's children.

Visitors

You are responsible for the behaviour of anyone who visits your home. Other residents are often disturbed by late night visitors. If you have an active social life, please consider your neighbours and ask your visitors to do so also.

Pets

Be a responsible pet owner. You need to have our written permission before keeping a dog, or other pets that may disturb your neighbours. Many disputes arise because pets are allowed to roam about uncontrolled. Pets fouling gardens and pathways are a health hazard. It may be your own children that are put at risk. Please make sure that your pets are controlled and that you clean up after them.

Cars and car parking

Park your car thoughtfully. Are you or your visitors blocking your neighbour's access? If you have a driveway please park on it, and not on the road
Think of neighbours when starting up your engine and returning late at night. Keep your revs down and close doors quietly.Most residents do not want a view of a large truck from their living room window. If you or your partner drives a truck, please have consideration for your neighbours when parking.

Communal areas

If you share a garden or stairway with your neighbour, you are jointly responsible for keeping it clean and tidy. Overflowing rubbish bins that smell are annoying and can upset your neighbours. Please do not put your rubbish out for taking away until the night before the rubbish collection is due, as bags may get split and the contents spilled.

Gardens

Please take a pride in how your home looks and cut your garden and hedges regularly. Weed covered gardens make it difficult for your neighbours to keep their own gardens weed free.

Controlling noise

Simple rules about how to aviod disturbing your neighbours.

• discuss with your neighbours, particularly in flats, whether any noise you make can be heard by them
• remember speech carries as much as any other noise particularly at night
• keep music from hi-fi, TVs and radios at acceptable levels, especially if you have you windows open.
• try not to put equipment next to shared walls and place them on rubber or carpets to deaden any vibration
• turn your music down between 11pm and 7.30 am
• do not leave dogs constantly barking in the home or the garden
• restrict any domestic cleaning or DIY to reasonable hours
• do not carry out major car repairs
• tell you neighbours if you plan to hold a party

Following this advice will help you be a good neighbour