A neighbour's dog won't stop barking: what you can do

If a neighbour's dog barks for hours and ruins your sleep, you have options, and most of them do not involve a court. In England the usual order is to talk to the owner, try mediation, and then report a statutory noise nuisance to the council, which has legal powers to make the owner stop.

This guide explains each step in plain words, with the rules that apply in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. It is general information, not legal advice: if you are thinking about court action, speak to a solicitor or Citizens Advice first.

Should you talk to the neighbour first?

Yes, in almost every case. Many owners do not know the dog barks while they are out, and a calm conversation fixes more problems than any notice. BCP Council, the unitary authority for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, asks you to try this before you report noise to it.

Pick a quiet moment rather than knocking in the middle of an episode. Say what you hear, when, and how it affects you: "the dog barks from about eight until lunchtime most weekdays and I work from home" gives the owner something to act on. Assume they want to fix it.

If you do not feel able to knock, or the conversation goes nowhere, write a short, polite letter with the same facts and keep a copy. BCP Council offers a template letter for this on its noise pages. A letter also shows later that you tried to resolve things informally.

If the neighbour rents their home, their landlord or housing association may also be able to help, since most tenancies include a clause about nuisance to neighbours. If the neighbour is a council tenant, BCP asks you to report the problem to BCP Homes rather than through the noise service.

How do you keep evidence of the barking?

Keep a noise diary from the first week: the date, the start and end time of each episode, what you heard and how it affected you. Councils and courts rely on this record to judge whether the noise is persistent and unreasonable. A few short audio or video clips from inside your home help too.

Citizens Advice recommends writing as much detail as you can each time, including how long it lasted and what it stopped you doing, such as sleeping, working or using the garden. Note any conversations and letters too, with dates.

Be honest in the diary. Occasional barking when the post arrives is normal dog behaviour. What the law cares about is barking that goes on for long periods, at unsociable hours, or day after day.

If you think the dog is barking because it is distressed, left alone for long hours or not being cared for, that is a welfare question as well as a noise one, and the RSPCA is the organisation to contact.

Can mediation help?

Mediation is the step between a friendly chat and a formal complaint. A trained, neutral mediator meets both sides, separately or together, and helps you agree what will change. It works well when the relationship matters to you, because nobody is found guilty and both sides keep talking.

Citizens Advice suggests asking the council whether it can help you find a mediator, even if you are not a council tenant. Some community mediation services are free and others charge, so ask about the cost before you agree.

Mediation is voluntary. If the owner will not take part, or agrees and then nothing changes, you move on to a formal complaint, and your attempt at mediation will count in your favour.

When is barking a statutory nuisance?

Barking is a statutory nuisance when it unreasonably and substantially interferes with the use or enjoyment of your home, or harms your health. The GOV.UK guidance on noise nuisances names barking dogs as an example of noise from premises that councils investigate.

The law behind this is Part III of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. In plain words, it does three things:

• It places a duty on the council. Councils must take reasonable steps to investigate complaints of noise from premises, which includes gardens.
• It sets a test. The noise has to be more than annoying. Officers look at how loud it is, how long it lasts, how often it happens and at what time of day.
• It gives the council a tool. If officers decide a nuisance exists, or is likely to happen again, they must serve an abatement notice on the person responsible.

BCP Council's domestic noise complaints page lists animals, "such as barking dogs", among the noises it can investigate. It also lists the everyday sounds it will not act on, such as footsteps, doors closing and children playing.

What can the council do?

After a report, the council investigates, usually by asking for your diary and sometimes by recording or witnessing the noise itself. If it finds a statutory nuisance, it serves an abatement notice requiring the owner to stop the barking or limit it to certain times. Breaking the notice is a criminal offence.

According to the GOV.UK guidance on statutory nuisance, the person served can appeal to a magistrates' court within 21 days. If they ignore the notice, the council can prosecute, and the court sets the fine, with further fines possible for each day the nuisance carries on.

Councils and the police also have powers under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. Where the barking is part of wider behaviour that has a persistent, unreasonable effect on the quality of life of people nearby, they can issue a written warning and then a community protection notice, and breaching one is also an offence.

To report in Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole, use BCP Council's online form, describing the noise, where it comes from, how often and when, and how it affects your household. The same page gives an out-of-hours number for noise happening outside office hours.

Can you take action yourself?

Yes. If the council does not act, the Environmental Protection Act lets a person affected by a statutory nuisance complain directly to the magistrates' court, which can order the owner to stop. You must give the owner written notice before you start, and you carry the burden of proving the nuisance, which is where your diary counts.

Some neighbours also bring a civil claim for private nuisance in the county court. Both routes take time and can cost money, so take advice from a solicitor or Citizens Advice before you go down either one.

If you are staying with Flexiestays and a dog keeps you awake

If you are a guest in one of our apartments and noise from a neighbouring property, or anywhere else, is disturbing your stay, tell us straight away. Our local team is available 24 hours a day by WhatsApp or phone, and the Help Centre's problems during your stay page lists the numbers. Include your apartment name and a short description.

Our house rules ask guests to keep noise down, especially from late evening until morning, and only apartments marked pet-friendly accept dogs, by prior agreement. The Help Centre's pets and assistance dogs page explains how that works if you are travelling with your own dog, and our guide to dog-friendly Bournemouth covers the beaches and walks.

Choosing a quiet base in Bournemouth

If you are moving to the area, noise is worth thinking about before you sign a lease. The Bournemouth Guide's neighbourhood guide compares the areas, and its long stays guide covers living here for a month or more.

A furnished monthly stay lets you get to know a street before you commit to it. Our long-term stays page covers monthly apartments from 28 nights, and relocating to Bournemouth for work and where to stay in Bournemouth set out the options.