If you have ever lived in a house, condo, or even an apartment you have probably had a bad neighbor at one time or another.  What this means is that you have had one or more neighbors that have lacked empathy towards any one who lives close to them.  Neighbors of this type are usually not the quiet shy types and they actually enjoy getting into conflicts.  So this leaves the question of what to do about these neighbors.  Here are a few tips to help you with bad neighbors.

The Noisy Neighbor

The noisy neighbor is the number one complaint people usually have when complaining.  It could be that they play music too loud, have a dog that barks all of the time, or they might have parties that get out of control.  During the day many neighbors are usually pretty quiet but once the sun goes down and people try to sleep that is when the neighbors tend to get noisy.  It is important that you remain cool during these times and not try to sound out their music with your own.  You should also not bang on the ceiling or on the walls to try and get the attention.  Sometimes having a simple conversation with the neighbor might take care of the problem.

The Home Value Crasher Neighbor

Everyone who lives in a neighborhood probably has an issue with the one neighbor who does not take care of his or her own home which causes the value of your own home to go down.  This is the neighbor who does not take care of the house itself, the lawn is overgrown, and there is junk all over the front yard.  People tend to get very cranky when someone is messing around with his or her assets and sometimes it can get ugly.    In a position like this you should not approach the person with the intent to offer to fix things for him.  Often times the homeowners association can help you get things corrected.

The Neighbor Who Is A Criminal

It is always possible that you could end up with a bad neighbor who is a criminal.  This could involve anything from violence, vandalism, theft or even something worse such as domestic violence, or even threats.  These can all make the situation of having this type of neighbor a danger.  In a situation such as this you should tell others and be vigil with the authorities to be sure that your neighbor is kept safe.

The Neighbor Who Is A Bad Pet Owner

Often times neighbors think of their pets as family.  In situations where the dogs bark at all hours of the day, there is dog feces everywhere and the pets are often left roaming the streets it can get ugly when you approach the neighbor.  It is important for you to remember that people consider their pets as part of their family and could get upset if you approach them about the issues you are seeing.  Instead of approaching them yourself you should contact the homeowner’s association or maybe even write an anonymous letter to the neighbor and share your concerns.

Having bad neighbors for whatever reason can be a very frustrating situation.  There are many different ways that these situations can and should be handled.  More often than not the homeowner’s association should be able to help you.  If not then you might have to get the local law enforcement involved.  However you decide to handle it should be done carefully to make sure that you do not insult those who are involved and then everyone can live peacefully again.

Image via Flickr by Mbell1975