Search form

menu menu
  • Daily & Weekly newsletters
  • Buy & download The Bulletin
  • Comment on our articles

One in three Belgians unhappy with neighbours

12:53 29/09/2017

One in three households in Belgium have had problems with a neighbour, according to a study carried out by local research agency iVox for Reynaers Aluminium. Of those, 20% have taken their neighbour to court.

One in four Belgians report being “unhappy” with a neighbour, giving them a score of one to four out of 10. The biggest sources of problems big and small are noise, gossip and anti-social behaviour, according to the survey.

The good news is that the majority of households are satisfied with their neighbourhood and neighbours, with the survey showing a clear relationship between how involved people are in their neighbourhoods with how happy they are with the neighbours.

Two-thirds of respondents said that they strive to have an occasional chat with neighbours, while 60% referred to their closest neighbours by their first name.

Reynaers offered 10 tips for being a good neighbour, including: Always greet a neighbour when you see them, introduce yourself to newcomers in the neighbourhood, keep noise to a minimum and informing  neighbours in advance if you plan to throw a party.

Written by Lisa Bradshaw