Neighbours can be wonderful allies to have. Whether you need someone to water your plants when you're out the house, or just have a friendly chat with when you meet them on the drive.
But in reality, when you live in such close proximity to someone, it's not always going to go smoothly – especially if your next-door neighbour is noisy.
When your noisy neighbour is keeping you up at all kinds of hours, whether that be because of loud music or mowing the lawn early in the morning, it's hard to know what rights you have in terms of making a complaint.
If asking nicely hasn't made a bit of difference, what can you do? Luckily, Annabel Clark, dispute resolution partner at Keystone Law, has shared some expert advice on exactly what you can do to resolve the dispute.
Speaking to The Mirror, the experienced litigator, who handles cases across a wide range of areas, including neighbour disputes, said: "The first thing you should do, if possible, is to talk to your neighbour either face-to-face or by text, email or letter and explain why what they are doing is unreasonable and how it is affecting your health and well-being."
If that doesn't work, you make need to take the matter to court – but there would need to be a "substantial interference" with "quiet enjoyment".
Annabel explained: "If that doesn't work, you should keep a record of the noise disturbance(s), what actually happened, when, and for how long the disturbance lasted."
You should also keep any messages you neighbour might have sent you, and collect evidence if you feel it's safe to do so.
Annabel added: "The key question will always be reasonableness between neighbours and it's often a question of degree and circumstances, including for example the character of the neighbourhood.
"Generally speaking, noise after 11pm and before 7am is considered to be an interference with quiet enjoyment and constitute a common-law nuisance, which ultimately you can seek damages through the court and injunctive relief.
"There would need to be substantial interference, although it can, depending on the interference, be a single incident or an ongoing state of affairs. It can also be an action or omission, such as leaving a dog locked in the house or flat regularly to bark."
Alternatively, you can report the matter to a local authority, as they may already have information on the individual's behaviour.
Annabel explained: "You can also report the matter to the local authority, council, housing providers or the police. The local authority is usually the first port of call as they may have information on a particular individual’s noisy or abusive behaviour.
"Mediation is always an option and the Antisocial Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 allows the authorities to obtain a civil injunction to prevent antisocial behaviour."
A mediator is someone who doesn't know either of the parties, and is trained in how to resolve disagreements. It's a good idea to ask if the council can help you find one.
If you still need help to resolve a problem, after having tried through the council or speaking to a landlord first, you can contact your nearest Citizens Advice branch.
You can also chat to them if you're unsure whether your neighbour's behaviour is considered anti social behaviour. They can help you decide what to do next.
Are you having trouble with a noisy neighbour? You can email us at ariane.sohrabishiraz@mirror.co.uk
