Tonight:
9°c
How much nuisance can one house cause? Twice this week I've been kept awake all night by a fire alarm on my street. The first time it rang for more than 24 hours before being silenced. Two nights later it went off again. When I left for work yesterday it was still ringing.
There's something about sleep deprivation that turns you into a rabid dog. For two days this week I bombarded Islington council noise department with calls until I got to the bottom of the bell problem.
The problem, it turns out, is that the house in question - clearly empty, only a dead man could sleep through that - belongs to a housing association. So there's no private owner to sort it out quickly, just a big, bureaucratic organisation to wrangle with. Finally, after the second ringing session, I was assured that the offending device had been "permanently disabled" - a phrase that conjures images of the alarm with an axe embedded in it by one of my neighbours.
The ringing house has something of a reputation in my street. Last summer it was the scene of many an all-night party. Inevitably the fray would spill out onto the street when the shouting, swearing and smashing of vodka bottles would begin. A few running battles took place beneath our twitching curtains during which humans on drugs could be heard baying like wild animals.
I'm told anecdotally that's the reason the house now stands empty, though other neighbours claim it's down to the hounding out of Dog Man, who lived there until recently. He would walk his pet around our streets encouraging it to defecate freely, often in front of my gate, while sneering at residents who asked him to clean up.
Now, yards from my front door, another housing association is putting the final touches to a large property. After much frustrating digging, I've discovered that it's intended to house people with "complex needs", whatever those are. The neighbours I've talked to are keeping an open mind, but we'll need a whole lot more information before we throw a welcome party.
I used to think whingeing about antisocial neighbours was nimby behaviour but now I know different: it's what concerned homeowners do. One problem household is enough for any street.
Reader views (8)
George, don't tell me there are no problem areas in France!
St. Denis for example, just to name one of the many.
You sound like one of those ever so boring ex pats.
- D Payne, London
islington ?? well that's what often happens there
- Neil, london
Move house. Why pay London prices to live in a jungly part of Islington? Or sue the council for damaging the value of your property with dodgy neighbours.
- Pimlico Sage, London, UK
thats one of the reasons i moved to france add crime,parking,rates i`m surprised anyone;s left
- George, france
I now live in the USA and quite frankly having grown up in Africa as a child, do not think I could deal with the stifling lack of space. Islington is an over priced dump full of media luvvies. It sucks!
- James Ritchie, Oyster Bay Cove, NY, USA
I sympathise as we also have inconsiderate neighbours. They think nothing of banging doors and screaming at each other all night long. Being a 1970s semi, the walls are paper thin to start with so we can hear every word. They usually start at around 10.30pm when good working folk are thinking of going to bed and continue on till gone 3am some nights. Any attempt to discuss it with them is met with an "oh sorry" and then they're quiet for 24 hours before it all starts again. They rent, we own - so why should we move from the house we've put so much time, effort and money in to?
- Jax W, Huntingdon UK
You seem to be insinuating that housing association properties tend to house problematic people. Well I live in a housing association property and myself and my neighbours are proud of our quiet little block. It's simply bad luck. You could always move.
- Gemma Heath, London UK
Why dont you move? I lived in England for 3 years, and at times it felt suffocating due to the lack of space. Row upon row of houses, with very little privacy. Move to the countryside, and leave the dysfunctional people who disturbs you, behind.
- Kenneth Didriksen, Bergen, Norway
