A new homeowner struggling with a neighbour's dog excrement issue has turned to Reddit for advice. Posting as @M_C_XIX, the user explained that after clearing overhanging trees from their garden, they discovered a 'horrid' smell coming from the neighbour's patio.
'My neighbours live a very easy-going lifestyle. They've neglected their garden to the point where it's become an inaccessible forest, but I've managed to clear all the overhanging trees from my side,' they wrote. 'However, they have a large dog, and it's made a mess of their patio with its excrement. I don't mean a little bit, there are enormous piles all over, some right next to the fence that divides our gardens.'
Health Hazard Concerns
The homeowner described the piles as 'large enough that you'd think a horse made them' and said the smell is so bad that 'I can't use my garden anymore because of it'. They added that the stench can be smelled from inside the house when the door is open, and questioned how the neighbours could live like that, suggesting they 'must not have a sense of smell'.
Commenters warned the situation was becoming a health hazard and advised contacting the landlord if the property is rented. The homeowner expressed a desire to address the issue without causing awkwardness, as they had only recently moved in.
Legal Rights and Remedies
Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, a neighbour's garden mess can be reported as a 'statutory nuisance' to the local council's environmental health team. If the dog's wellbeing is a concern, the RSPCA can also assess the situation. While public dog-fouling fines do not apply to private gardens, the smell, flies, or other nuisances drifting onto a neighbouring property can still breach environmental laws.
For rented properties, landlords have a duty to prevent tenants from causing a statutory nuisance or breaching their tenancy agreement. If the property is housing association or council housing, their anti-social behaviour (ASB) rules allow them to intervene with warnings or meetings. To identify the property owner if unknown, the UK Land Registry can be checked for a small fee.
