Private Nuisance
An unlawful interference with a person's use or enjoyment of land, or some right over or in connection with it. Requires continuous or recurrent interference and balances factors including locality, duration, and sensitivity.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
Government guidance on resolving neighbour disputes sets out a graduated, practical route before anyone reaches for a nuisance claim: try to solve the problem informally by talking to them, and if that does not work, a mediation service could help. Where the dispute involves a 'statutory nuisance' — the guidance gives loud music or barking dogs as examples — a complaint can instead be made to the local council.
Court action is presented explicitly as a last resort: as a last resort you can take legal action through the courts. The guidance also draws a line between civil nuisance-type disputes and unlawful conduct: if a neighbour is breaking the law by being violent or harassing someone, the advice is to contact the police rather than pursue the dispute as an ordinary neighbour disagreement.
Related terms
Official sources
This explanation is drawn from the official sources below; every substantive statement is verified against them. For advice on a specific matter, see our find help page.