Many of our properties are situated together and, like all communities, are home to a diverse range of people with different lifestyles, cultures and family compositions.
Being a good neighbour means being mindful and respectful of others, particularly in terms of noise, the behaviour of visitors and pets and the use of shared areas such as parking places, laundries and gardens.
If you have a good neighbour, you can reward them through our good neighbour initiative.
Do you know someone who is a particularly good neighbour and ticks some of the boxes below? Housing Choices Australia would like to help you thank them and recognise their contribution to the community by rewarding them.
If you would like to know more, please download the brochure below or contact your Housing Officer.
Housing Choices Australia recognises that all residents have rights, as our resident you have a right to:
Residents, also have responsibilities, when you sign the Residential Tenancy Agreement, you are agreeing to abide by the terms of this agreement and to meet all your tenancy obligations. This means you should not:
Under the Residential Tenancy Agreement, you are responsible for your own conduct as well as the behaviour of all other household members and any visitors to your property.
Unacceptable behaviour is behaviour that causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to other people. It is behaviour that unreasonably interferes with other people’s rights to use and enjoy their home and community, such as:
Be considerate towards your neighbours when you are doing something noisy. Let them know before you start and try to avoid making noise when people are likely to be sleeping. There are a few simple things you can do to prevent disputes with neighbours.
If you are experiencing any problems with noise or nuisance, it is very important that you calmly deal with it as soon as you can. Sometimes a dispute may occur because of a misunderstanding between you and your neighbour.
We encourage early intervention for neighbours in dispute. Your first step should be to approach your neighbour to resolve the situation between yourselves. We can assist you to manage that conversation, including how to explain the problem from your point of view, the impact that it is making and how it could be resolved. If you feel you cannot speak with your neighbour directly, you can also, ask about mediation where a trained and independent person can speak with both of you to discuss how you may want to resolve the problem.
If the problem relates to a breach of tenancy that is negatively affecting you, contact your Housing Officer – he or she may ask you to keep a nuisance and annoyance diary. This is a document that records the date, time and details of any incident that occurs. If the problem relates to any type of harassment or abuse, we may refer you to specialised services that can offer you support and assistance. We may also ask you to keep a nuisance and annoyance diary.
Housing Choices Australia cannot take direct action where the problem in your neighbourhood or block of units involves criminal activity. You can report this directly to the police.