When you move into a new place, you’re usually thinking about square footage, rent prices, and how close the shops are.
However, no one really prepares you for the wild card that is your neighbour. Some are lovely, quiet, and respectful; others feel like a test from the universe. And while they might seem normal at first, it doesn’t take long before the cracks start showing. Here are 10 types of neighbours who really should come with a polite little warning before you sign the lease or the mortgage papers.
1. The one who treats the whole street like their business
This neighbour isn’t just friendly—they’re full-time observant. They know who parked where, who had visitors over, and who skipped bin day. At first, it might seem like they’re just being neighbourly, but you quickly realise there’s a running commentary behind every window twitch and casual question.
What makes it tricky is that they’re not necessarily mean-spirited. They just collect information like it’s a hobby. But living next to them starts to feel like being on a low-budget reality show you didn’t agree to be in. You start double-checking what you wear to take the bins out—not out of vanity, but because you know it’ll come up in conversation two doors down.
2. The one who’s always mid-feud with someone
This neighbour is never not in a disagreement. Whether it’s about parking spaces, fence lines, or the volume of someone’s wind chimes, they’re always deep in some kind of neighbourhood cold war. Not only that, but they’re ready to share the entire backstory with you at a moment’s notice.
They’re constantly trying to recruit allies to “see their side,” which puts you in the awkward position of either agreeing, staying silent, or becoming their next target. It doesn’t take long before you start ducking behind your car or pretending to be on a call when you see them approaching. Their drama might not directly involve you—yet—but it absolutely affects the atmosphere on the street.
3. The one who forgets sound travels
This one turns every evening into a concert and every weekend into a mini soap opera. Whether it’s blasting music, shouting during phone calls, or having full-blown arguments with the windows open, they have zero concept of volume control, or simply don’t care.
You know more about their life than you ever asked to, including their taste in late-night TV and their exact relationship dynamic. You’ve tried earplugs, background noise, even passive-aggressive closing of your own windows, but nothing stops the sound. You start scheduling your naps and Zoom calls around their activity. At this point, their chaos is your routine.
4. The one who “borrows” permanently
This neighbour has mastered the casual borrow. It starts with a lawn tool or a phone charger. Then it moves into bigger asks—an extension cord, a ladder, maybe your patience. Items leave your home, but rarely return without prompting, and even then, they often come back slightly damaged or not at all.
It puts you in a weird spot because the intention doesn’t feel malicious—it just seems like they assume your belongings are part of the communal pool. Saying no feels awkward, asking for something back makes you feel petty, and eventually, you find yourself inventing excuses about why everything’s “already lent out” just to buy some peace.
5. The one who turns their garden into a party venue
What starts as a casual BBQ turns into a full-blown weekend tradition. This neighbour treats their outdoor space like it’s a music festival. There’s music, smoke, shouting, and at least one person yelling “woo” after dark like they’re at a hen do.
You don’t want to be the killjoy—you’re fine with people having fun. However, when it’s every Friday through Sunday, and the bass shakes your dinner plates, you start to dread warm weather. And every time they apologise the next morning with “hope we weren’t too loud,” you smile and say, “No worries,” while mentally checking how many hours you slept.
6. The one who wants to be your best friend
They’re enthusiastic, chatty, and deeply invested in your day, whether you’re up for it or not. They catch you as you’re unloading groceries, pop over “just to say hi,” and try to turn every passing hello into a full debrief on your personal life.
It’s not that they’re unpleasant—it’s that the intensity makes you feel boxed in. You start timing your front-door exits. You walk the long way round the building just to avoid another spontaneous heart-to-heart. What felt like warmth quickly becomes pressure to maintain a relationship you didn’t really agree to.
7. The one who treats shared space like it’s optional
This neighbour is allergic to putting things away. Their recycling overflows into the walkway. Their garden waste ends up on your side. They leave delivery boxes in shared hallways and bulk rubbish items sitting for weeks, hoping someone else will deal with them.
Talking to them feels like confronting a teenager—they’re full of excuses, surprised it’s an issue, and somehow offended that you care. You’re not asking for perfection—just a basic sense of shared responsibility. But when that doesn’t come naturally to them, things get tense fast.
8. The one who bends every rule in the book
There’s always that one person who thinks rules are more like loose suggestions. Whether it’s keeping pets where they’re not allowed, ignoring quiet hours, or having bonfires in a no-burn zone, they find a way to do what they want, and expect everyone else to deal with it.
They’re not loud about it, which makes it even more frustrating. They operate just under the radar—enough to cause problems, but never quite enough to draw official attention. The longer it goes on, the more neighbours start quietly resenting them, even if no one says it out loud.
9. The one with an endless DIY obsession
You think they’re building a shed. Then it becomes a deck. Then a wall. Then a full-blown extension, complete with loud drills and weekend cement deliveries. They seem to always have a project going, and none of them seem to end.
They’ll tell you it’s “just a quick job,” but the noise, dust, and occasional structural confusion go on for months. You’ve memorised the rhythm of their sander. You jump when you hear a power tool, even in someone else’s garden. You start to question whether they actually enjoy home improvement or just the excuse to make noise and avoid conversation.
10. The one who’s invisible until there’s a problem
You never see them. They don’t say hello, they don’t wave, and for the most part, you forget they live next door—until you get a passive-aggressive note or a formal complaint. Then, suddenly, they’ve got a long list of issues you apparently caused without knowing.
These neighbours avoid every casual interaction but make their presence known the moment something inconveniences them. There’s no warning, no conversation—just a printed notice about your “unacceptable” hedge or the “excessive” noise from a dinner party that ended at 9pm. They don’t want to connect—they want to manage you from a distance.
