If the constant yapping of the dog next door is driving you mad, or loud music and endless parties are keeping you up at night, you are not alone. These are the most common causes of neighbourly disputes in NSW, a new survey reveals.
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A study by the Domain Group/Nielsen asked 1445 people in NSW about harmony in their neighbourhood and found that one in five had experienced an issue or a conflict with a neighbour in the past five years.
Apart from pets and parties, which made up more than half of the complaints, other gripes dividing neighbours include screaming kids (11 per cent), loud fights (18 per cent), slamming doors (11 per cent) and overflowing bins (7 per cent).
Gossiping neighbours "who don't mind their own business" also annoyed 21 per cent of people.
But despite all this, two out of three people actually consider themselves good neighbours, the report discovered.
And what neighbours squabble about most depends on where they live.
In the past financial, year Ku-ring-gai Council received 284 complaints about barking dogs and 136 noise complaints.
But the lion's share of neighbourhood disputes has stemmed from development, with the council receiving 479 complaints about renovations.
Given the amount of complaints, the Mayor of Ku-ring-gai, Jennifer Anderson, said the council deals with issues through inspections and investigations.
This typically involves sending out a building inspector who may then issue an infringement notice. The standard fine is $1500 but if it went to court it could be considerably more.
Disputes between neighbours are so prevalent at Warringah Council that one in five calls to customer service are a complaint about a neighbour.
The most common issues were barking dogs, overhanging trees, authorised and unauthorised building works, excessive noise and fences.
In Marrickville, the three biggest issues are parking, fences and trees.
Mediation via Community Justice Centres are often recommended by the councils. If that fails, it may proceed to Local Court.