Letter of Complaint to Neighbour about Nuisance

A Letter to Neighbour about Nuisance is a document a homeowner or tenant uses to inform their neighbour about the neighbour's nuisance.

Nuisance is any activity done by someone which affects or disturbs the other person's ability to use and enjoy their property. Two common forms of nuisance are as follows: Private and public nuisance. A private nuisance is a situation where the neighbour's activity causes harm or damage to a person or property belonging to an individual, and a public nuisance affects public space or a large number of people.

Under the law, every person has a right to the peaceful enjoyment of their property. However, when a person conducts themselves in such a way that it affects the ability of another to use and enjoy their property, a problem ensues. For example, noise erupting from a neighbour's property may cause a lack of sleep to another person. Therefore, this letter allows the affected person to make a formal complaint to their neighbour about any activity performed by their neighbour that makes it difficult for the person to enjoy their property.

Nuisance can be caused by any one or more of the following conditions:

• Noise and vibration;
• Smoke, fumes or gases;
• Odours;
• Waste deposits;
• Animals;
• Poor state of one's premises, etc.

This letter may be used as an initial request to deter the activity constituting nuisance or after the sender had already warned the neighbour severally about the nuisance activities. In this letter, the form filler must give information about the neighbour (such as the name and address), information about the sender and properly describe the activities of the neighbour.

How to use this document

After filling this form, the sender should print, sign, and deliver this letter to the offending party. The sender should also keep a copy for record purposes.

If the nuisance persists or the neighbour is unsympathetic to the complaints made, the landlord (if the neighbour is occupying a rental property) may be notified of this nuisance. Also, the sender may institute an action against his/her neighbour in a court of competent jurisdiction.

Applicable laws

The laws prohibiting nuisance in Nigeria include:

• The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999;
• The NESREA Act, 2007;
• NESREA Regulations;
• Urban and Regional Planning Act, 2004;
• Harmful Waste (Special Criminal Provisions) Act, 2004.

How to modify the template

You fill out a form. The document is created before your eyes as you respond to the questions.

At the end, you receive it in Word and PDF formats. You can modify it and reuse it.