Ever wondered if your habits are causing a nuisance to your neighbours? A recent survey has unveiled that some of the UK’s most common neighbourly annoyances could potentially result in hefty fines.
From blaring music to overgrown trees, it seems Brits are easily irritated. Lifting the lid on what really winds up your neighbours, Northerner hoped to uncover the secret to being a perfect neighbour and which etiquette rules you should never break.
Unfortunately, it’s bad news for dog owners. Results highlighted that the number one pet peeve is leaving dogs to bark, with more than half of Brits agreeing that this gets on their nerves.
In fact, in the UK, you can be fined up to £5,000 if your dog’s barking is reported to the council and deemed a statutory noise nuisance. Of those surveyed, 55 to 64-year-olds were most bothered by this, with nearly three-quarters (74%) admitting this was one of their biggest pet peeves.
On the other hand, 25 to 34-year-olds were most annoyed by requests to participate in community events (24%), while only 13% of those between 55 and 64 found this bothersome. According to WalesOnline, the other nuisances are as follows:
- Leaving dogs to bark (53%)
- Playing loud music (49%)
- Cars taking up road space (40%)
- Unkempt property (37%)
- Hearing someone having sex (35%)
- Overgrown trees (33%)
- Smoking in the garden (25%)
- Making suggestion to change your property (19%)
- Having lots of visitors (17%)
- Being asked to join community events (17%)
Despite what some may assume about the British, very few respondents said they found chatting with neighbours annoying. A mere 10% said they don’t like chatty neighbours or making small talk with them.
Instead, 96% of Brits actually said they like bumping into their neighbours while they’re out and about. And while football may divide family and friends, it isn’t an issue for most Brits when it comes to supporting different teams to their neighbours, with just 7% admitting that it was an annoyance.
In light of the research, Markus Lindblad from Northerner said: “It’s fairly common for us to get irritated by our neighbours’ habits and behaviours, but community is a really important thing. It was really heart-warming to see that neighbours do still enjoy chatting and interacting with each other.
“When it comes to things like smoking in the garden, it is completely understandable that people can find this annoying, especially when you’re in the garden, with kids, or trying to dry your washing.”