Neighbourhood disputes
We are committed to working with local councils, tenants, household members and other agencies to make your community a safe, healthy and peaceful place to live.
This page provides information about how we can work together to resolve any neighbourhood disputes.
What is a neighbourhood dispute?
If neighbours have disagreements about things such as loud music, loud parties, fighting or visitors causing problems, it can turn into a neighbourhood dispute if the issue isn’t resolved.
Tenants responsibilities
Minor neighbourhood disputes can be resolved if neighbours simply talk to each other. Sometimes the person doesn’t know that they’re disturbing you.
If you don’t feel comfortable talking to your neighbour to sort out the dispute, you can:
- ask Housing staff to help—to do this, put in a complaint (in writing or verbal) by visiting the Housing office/hub
- use a Dispute Resolution Centre if you want a third party to help—Dispute Resolution Centres offers a free mediation service to help people settle disputes
- talk to the local police if the situation becomes serious or you feel your safety, property or pets are in danger.
What the department can do to help
We can action matters that fall within the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 as a landlord or agent acting on behalf of the council.
We will investigate any complaints we receive and take appropriate actions, which may include:
- issuing a ‘Notice to remedy breach’, which gives the tenant 16 days to fix the problem
- referring you to other agencies for help, such as the Department of Treaty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Communities and Arts or Queensland Health
- referring you to mediation services, such as the Dispute Resolution Centre
- asking local police to help if it’s a serious dispute
- transferring you to another property if this is practical.
If you receive threats from neighbours, you should talk your local police immediately.
Dispute Resolution Centre
A Dispute Resolution Service can help find a solution to the problem through a mediation process.
With mediation, everyone involved in the problem gets to have their say and then the mediator helps find a solution that everyone is happy with.
Sometimes, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples prefer to have an Indigenous mediator. The Dispute Resolution Services can send Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander mediators to visit the community to help.
Mediation is free. For more information about mediation, contact a Dispute Resolution Centre or speak to Housing staff.
More information
Please talk to Housing staff if you need more information about neighbourhood disputes.