Make sure that you fully understand your rights as a member of the community and as tenant or home owner. Remember that no matter where you live, you will be living side by side with range of different people. Everyone has different lifestyles and so we need to treat others in a way that allows us all to live and work alongside one another harmoniously.
Our top ten tips for being a good neighbour
1. Do introduce yourself to your neighbours when you move in. People may find it more difficult to approach neighbours they do not know. Getting to know one another will help to ensure that you can get in contact with each other if any problems arise.
2. Do get involved with volunteering in your local community. It will impact positively on your life, as well as those a particular project is directed towards. It offers you a chance to become involved in a project or with an organisation you really care about as well as an opportunity to meet new people and to gain valuable skills.
3. Do plan for moving out of your accommodation. This may seem like a long way in the future, but for many communities, the large number of tenancies beginning and ending over a couple of weekends in the summer can be a very stressful time. Make sure you plan ahead and leave the accommodation in a good condition for the next tenants. Find out if there will be extra refuse collections or recycling services put on to assist in these period, and donate unwanted old furniture, books, clothes and bric a brac to charity.
4. Do keep your house and garden in good condition. If your landlord is responsible for the maintenance of the house or garden, make sure to let them know if there is something that needs tending to, and keep copies of all your correspondence. You should always try to rent off an accredited landlord, as these will generally be landlords committed to delivering a more professional service.
5. Do register to vote. This is how you can have a say on the issues that affect your local neighbourhood.
6. Do get involved in community events – be this a forum, a fete, a cultural celebration or a sports team. These are all excellent ways to get to know the members of your community, and really start to feel at home.
7. Do lock your windows and doors. No-one wants to get burgled, or indeed live next door to somewhere that keeps getting broken into. It’s upsetting; it will make your insurance go through the roof and can make everyone feel unsafe. A quarter of all burglaries happen through unlocked windows and doors – something which can easily be avoided.
8. Do let your neighbours know if your house is going to be empty for a considerable period – whether this is due to a holiday, a placement or a study break.
9. Do tell your neighbours if you’re having people over. Having the occasional party is everyone's prerogative.. If you decide to hold one, hold it at the weekend or at a time agreed with your neighbours. Tell your neighbours about the party, keep the noise to a reasonable level, and agree a time to end it by. Make sure your friends leave quietly and you clear up any debris.
10. Do find out when the bin day is. It’s the local authority’s responsibility to provide a waste collection service, but as residents we all need to make sure that we help it run effectively. This is by far the issue that we hear up and down the country that irks residents. No-one wants a street with rows of over flowing bins. If there’s a problem with your waste collection, let your students’ union and local authority know.