United Kingdom
Neighbour Harassment: Criminal, Civil and Council Options in the UK
Persistent, unwanted conduct from a neighbour can cross from an annoyance into something the law recognises as harassment, but the routes for dealing with it are wider than most people realise. This guide covers the criminal offence, the under-used civil claim, and the council-based anti-social behaviour tools that sit alongside them.
The Criminal Offence: Protection from Harassment Act 1997
The main criminal law tool for neighbour harassment is the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. Section 1(1) prohibits a course of conduct that amounts to harassment of another person, where the person responsible knows or ought to know that it amounts to harassment.
A single unpleasant incident is not enough on its own. Section 7(3) defines a "course of conduct" as conduct occurring on at least two occasions. That threshold is lower than many people expect: two separate incidents, if they are genuinely connected as a pattern rather than isolated one-offs, can already meet the legal definition.
Section 2 makes a breach of section 1 a criminal offence, triable summarily, with a maximum penalty of up to 6 months' imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. The Act's own text still reads "level 5 on the standard scale", but section 85 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 removed that cap in England and Wales for offences committed on or after 12 March 2015, so the fine is no longer limited to a fixed maximum.
The Act also contains two more serious offences aimed at conduct beyond ordinary harassment: section 2A, stalking, and section 4, putting a person in fear of violence on at least two occasions. Both exist as separate, more serious charges a prosecutor can bring where the facts support them, sitting above the basic section 2 offence.
The Civil Route: Section 3, and Why It Matters
Many people assume harassment is purely a police and criminal justice matter. Section 3 of the 1997 Act provides a civil route that does not depend on a criminal prosecution or conviction at all.
Under section 3, a person can bring a civil claim for:
- Damages, which the Act expressly says can include compensation for anxiety caused by the harassment and any financial loss resulting from it; and
- An injunction ordering the harasser to stop the conduct.
This route is genuinely under-used relative to how useful it can be. It does not require the police to charge anyone, and it does not depend on the criminal standard of proof. A neighbour dispute that the police decide not to pursue as a criminal matter, for whatever reason, can still potentially be addressed through a civil harassment claim and injunction.
Breaching an injunction granted under section 3, without a reasonable excuse, is not treated as a minor matter. It becomes a separate criminal offence, carrying a maximum of 5 years' imprisonment on indictment, and it comes with a power of arrest attached to the injunction, meaning police can arrest someone for breaching it without needing a fresh warrant for that specific breach.
Council and Anti-Social Behaviour Tools
Beyond the 1997 Act, the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 gives councils and other agencies a set of tools aimed specifically at neighbour and community nuisance, which can run alongside or instead of a harassment claim.
Civil injunctions (section 1)
A court can grant a civil injunction against a person engaging in anti-social behaviour, prohibiting specific conduct and, where appropriate, requiring positive steps such as attending a programme addressing the behaviour.
Community Protection Notices (section 43)
This is the standard tool for ordinary neighbour nuisance. A Community Protection Notice can be issued where a person's conduct has a "detrimental effect, of a persistent or continuing nature, on the quality of life of those in the locality" and that conduct is judged unreasonable.
Crucially, a council or authorised officer cannot jump straight to a notice. Section 43(5) requires a written warning to be given first, explaining the problem and giving the person a reasonable opportunity to stop the conduct, before a formal notice can be issued.
Public Spaces Protection Orders (section 59)
A council can restrict activities in a defined public area where the activity has, or is likely to have, a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the area. This is more often used for wider public-space issues than a purely one-to-one neighbour dispute, but it can be relevant where the nuisance also plays out in a shared or public area near neighbouring homes.
Closure notices (section 76)
Where premises are associated with disorder or serious nuisance to the community, a closure notice can restrict access to those premises for a period. This is a targeted, premises-specific power rather than a general harassment remedy.
The ASB Case Review, or "Community Trigger" (section 104)
If a victim feels their previous complaints about anti-social behaviour have not been dealt with, section 104 allows them to formally request an ASB Case Review. Once a threshold is met (the default is 3 qualifying complaints about the same behaviour, though local review procedures can set a different number), the relevant agencies must carry out a joined-up review of how the case has been handled and consider what more can be done. This is designed for situations where separate complaints to the police, council and housing provider have each gone nowhere on their own.
Choosing the Right Route
These options are not mutually exclusive. A pattern of neighbour conduct might justify reporting a possible section 2 criminal offence to the police, pursuing a section 3 civil claim for an injunction and damages, and separately asking the council to consider a Community Protection Notice, all at the same time, depending on how each authority responds. Keeping a clear, dated record of every incident from the outset supports all three routes, since the "course of conduct" test and the "persistent or continuing" test for a Community Protection Notice both turn on a pattern over time rather than a single event.
Where the underlying problem is genuinely about noise rather than personal targeting, the statutory nuisance regime may be the more direct route; see our guide to noise complaints. Where a dispute centres on a boundary feature such as a hedge or tree rather than conduct aimed at a person, see our guide to high hedges and trees.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland has its own anti-social behaviour framework under the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004, and Northern Ireland runs a separate framework of its own. Neither mirrors the England and Wales tools described above, and a reader in Scotland or Northern Ireland should check the equivalent local powers with their council or a solicitor rather than assuming the 2014 Act's specific notices and reviews apply.
This guide explains the general legal routes available and is not a substitute for advice on a specific situation. Keeping a dated log of incidents is useful whichever route you pursue. Anyone in immediate danger should contact the police. For related reading, see our guides to noise complaints and high hedges and trees, or the wider UK Everyday Law hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many incidents does it take for something to count as harassment under UK law?
The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 requires a 'course of conduct', and section 7(3) defines that as conduct occurring on at least two occasions. Two genuinely connected incidents can already meet the legal threshold, though the specific facts matter.
Can I sue my neighbour for harassment without going through the police?
Yes. Section 3 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 allows a civil claim for damages, including for anxiety and financial loss, and an injunction, independent of any criminal prosecution.
What happens if my neighbour breaches a harassment injunction against them?
Breaching a section 3 injunction without reasonable excuse is a criminal offence in its own right, carrying up to 5 years' imprisonment on indictment, and it carries a power of arrest.
What is a Community Protection Notice and how do I get one issued against a neighbour?
It is a council tool under section 43 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 for conduct with a persistent, unreasonable, detrimental effect on the local community's quality of life. A written warning must be given first before a formal notice can follow.
What is the Community Trigger and when can I use it?
Formally called an ASB Case Review under section 104 of the 2014 Act, it lets a victim demand a joined-up review of how their complaints have been handled once a threshold is met, normally 3 qualifying complaints about the same behaviour.
Is neighbour harassment always a police matter?
No. It can be a criminal matter under section 2 of the 1997 Act, a civil claim under section 3, a council anti-social behaviour matter under the 2014 Act, or more than one of these at the same time, depending on the facts.
Do the same anti-social behaviour tools apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
No. Scotland has its own framework under the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004, and Northern Ireland runs a separate framework. Neither directly mirrors the England and Wales tools described here.
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on the statutory provisions below, held in our own legal record and retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
Protection from Harassment Act 1997
s. 1Prohibition of harassment.In forcecited in 3 of our articles
(1) A person must not pursue a course of conduct— (a) which amounts to harassment of another, and (b) which he knows or ought to know amounts to harassment of the other. (1A) A person must not pursue a course of conduct — (a) which involves harassment of two or more persons, and (b) which he knows or ought to know involves harassment of those persons, and (c) by which he intends to persuade any person (whether or not one of those mentioned above)— (i) not to do something that he is entitled or required to do, or (ii) to do something that he is not under any obligation to do. (2) For the purposes of this section or section 2A(2)(c) , the person whose course of conduct is in question ought to know that it amounts to or involves harassment of another if a reasonable person in possession of the same information would think the course of conduct amounted to harassment of the other.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-08-14 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legislation.gov.uk
Also relied on in: Is It Illegal to Record Someone in the UK?, Filming the Police in Public: UK Law Explained
s. 2Offence of harassment.In force
(1) A person who pursues a course of conduct in breach of section 1(1) or (1A) is guilty of an offence. (2) A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, or both. (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-08-14 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legislation.gov.uk
s. 3Civil remedy.In force
(1) An actual or apprehended breach of section 1(1) may be the subject of a claim in civil proceedings by the person who is or may be the victim of the course of conduct in question. (2) On such a claim, damages may be awarded for (among other things) any anxiety caused by the harassment and any financial loss resulting from the harassment. (3) Where— (a) in such proceedings the High Court or the county court grants an injunction for the purpose of restraining the defendant from pursuing any conduct which amounts to harassment, and (b) the plaintiff considers that the defendant has done anything which he is prohibited from doing by the injunction, the plaintiff may apply for the issue of a warrant for the arrest of the defendant. (4) An application under subsection (3) may be made— (a) where the injunction was granted by the High Court, to a judge of that court, and (b) where the injunction was granted by the county court, to a judge of that court. (5) The judge ... to whom an application under subsection (3) is made may only issue a warrant if— (a) the application is substantiated on oath, and (b) the judge ...
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-08-14 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legislation.gov.uk
s. 7Interpretation of this group of sections.In force
(1) This section applies for the interpretation of sections sections 1 to 5A . (2) References to harassing a person include alarming the person or causing the person distress. (3) A “course of conduct” must involve— (a) in the case of conduct in relation to a single person (see section 1(1)), conduct on at least two occasions in relation to that person, or (b) in the case of conduct in relation to two or more persons (see section 1(1A)), conduct on at least one occasion in relation to each of those persons. (3A) A person’s conduct on any occasion shall be taken, if aided, abetted, counselled or procured by another— (a) to be conduct on that occasion of the other (as well as conduct of the person whose conduct it is); and (b) to be conduct in relation to which the other’s knowledge and purpose, and what he ought to have known, are the same as they were in relation to what was contemplated or reasonably foreseeable at the time of the aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring. (4) “ Conduct ” includes speech. (5) References to a person, in the context of the harassment of a person, are references to a person who is an individual.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-08-14 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legislation.gov.uk
Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012
s. 85Removal of limit on certain fines on conviction by magistrates' courtIn force
(1) Where, on the commencement day, a relevant offence would, apart from this subsection, be punishable on summary conviction by a fine or maximum fine of £5,000 or more (however expressed), the offence is punishable on summary conviction on or after that day by a fine of any amount. (2) Where, on the commencement day, a relevant power could, apart from this subsection, be exercised to create an offence punishable on summary conviction by a fine or maximum fine of £5,000 or more (however expressed), the power may be exercised on or after that day to create an offence punishable on summary conviction by a fine of any amount. (3) For the purposes of this section— (a) an offence is relevant if, immediately before the commencement day, it is a common law offence or it is contained in an Act or an instrument made under an Act (whether or not the offence is in force at that time), and (b) a power is relevant if, immediately before the commencement day, it is contained in an Act or an instrument made under an Act (whether or not the power is in force at that time).
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-08-14 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legislation.gov.uk
Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014
s. 104Review of response to complaintsIn force
(1) In a case where a person has made a complaint about anti-social behaviour in a particular local government area, the relevant bodies in that area must carry out a review of the response to that behaviour (an “ASB case review)” if— (a) that person, or any other person, makes an application for such a review, and (b) the relevant bodies decide that the threshold for a review is met. (2) The relevant bodies in each local government area must— (a) make arrangements about the carrying out of ASB case reviews by those bodies (“review procedures”), and (b) ensure that the current review procedures are published. (3) The review procedures must include provision about the making of applications for ASB case reviews; and, in particular, must— (a) specify the point of contact for making applications, and (b) ensure that applications made to that point of contact are passed on to all the relevant bodies in the local government area.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-08-14 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legislation.gov.uk
s. 43Power to issue noticesIn force
(1) An authorised person may issue a community protection notice to an individual aged 16 or over, or a body, if satisfied on reasonable grounds that— (a) the conduct of the individual or body is having a detrimental effect, of a persistent or continuing nature, on the quality of life of those in the locality, and (b) the conduct is unreasonable. (2) In subsection (1) “ authorised person ” means a person on whom section 53 (or an enactment amended by that section) confers power to issue community protection notices. (3) A community protection notice is a notice that imposes any of the following requirements on the individual or body issued with it— (a) a requirement to stop doing specified things; (b) a requirement to do specified things; (c) a requirement to take reasonable steps to achieve specified results. (4) The only requirements that may be imposed are ones that are reasonable to impose in order— (a) to prevent the detrimental effect referred to in subsection (1) from continuing or recurring, or (b) to reduce that detrimental effect or to reduce the risk of its continuance or recurrence.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-08-14 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at legislation.gov.uk
Search our record of UK legislation — retrieved from legislation.gov.uk →
Sources and References
- Protection from Harassment Act 1997, s.1 (prohibition of harassment)(legislation.gov.uk).gov
- Protection from Harassment Act 1997, s.2 (offence of harassment)(legislation.gov.uk).gov
- Protection from Harassment Act 1997, s.3 (civil remedy)(legislation.gov.uk).gov
- Protection from Harassment Act 1997, s.7 (interpretation, including course of conduct)(legislation.gov.uk).gov
- Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, s.43 (community protection notices)(legislation.gov.uk).gov
- Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, s.104 (review of response to complaints)(legislation.gov.uk).gov
- GOV.UK: Reporting anti-social behaviour(gov.uk).gov
- Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, s.85 (removal of level 5 fine caps)(legislation.gov.uk).gov