Nightmare neighbour

The council can intervene where they see a health and safety issue. It may be that it is unfit for human habitation if things inside (like bathrooms) aren't up to standard. At the very least, the council would be able to tell you the point they can intervene so you can report things when they get to that stage.
Good luck.

Sometimes a house can suddenly be turned around. In my road there is a house like this, been a complete horror for years and all of a sudden the owner got into the mood for doing it up and it's lovely now!

The OP is considering selling her house now so I don't think she can wait until the neighbout might improve his house.

my first thought was to approach the neighbour to see if he wants to sell. Bargain price hopefully due to condition. Raise 2nd mortgage, renovate, and then sell both semis.

Get estate agents round ..... For valuations, advice, etc.

Couldn't something be done under "Town & Country Planning"?

There is some legisation now about derelict and empty homes allowing councils or individuals to compulsorily buy this sort of property. This is to utilise the country's housing stock. It can be quite complicated, but is generally a good thing.

www.gov.uk/report-derelict-abandoned-building

democracy.eastherts.gov.uk/documents/s30763/Compulsory%20Purchase%20of%20a%20Long%20Term%20Empty%20Property.pdf

I would get in touch with your MP they can put pressure on the council , I had a problem and was repeatedly told nothing could be done about it and my MP stepped in and got it sorted, worth a try..

Our local Mp stepped in and made an owner sell one of her many houses she owned and rented out locally . Students were in it and flooded it when we moved here in 1984 ,it remained empty for years and was used for allsorts of things by local youths and then became a drug den.It was set on fire and it was then taken on by mp but took a number of years before it finally sold.

The rented house opposite MIL has been like this for years. The tenants obviously pay their rent and the landlord, who we know owns lots of other houses, doesn't seem to bother about the state of this house. She has approached the council many times who come and look at it but don't do much else apart from telling the tenants to cut back the front hedge which was approaching the roof line. Since it doesn't seem to be a health hazard to the adjoining neighbours I don't think there is much more they can do.

Have you seen rats?? I'm sure you must have. This is definitely a council matter.Also this may be causing you severe mental health issues and adversley affecting your health.Is there a possible 'loss of amenity' in that you can't use your garden due to smells, falling slates etc? Sure the person may be ill and needs help but so do you.

I'm not sure the council can interfere even if the inside of the property is unfit for habitation. At a previous address I had a very obnoxious neighbour with a drink problem. The smell from his flat was appalling. The neighbours opposite had seen him defecating in his kitchen sink! When the council people attended they found he had ripped out his bath suite completely! But because he owned his property there was nothing they could do apparently! He terrorised me and my young daughter and was taken away by the police one day. He was told by a judge he couldn't return to his property because of his antisocial behaviour. We moved soon after.
Good luck with your problem op ?

There is a gap between what most of us would consider reasonable, and the point of intervention. I mentioned this post to some friends, who knew someone who did exactly what Teddy suggested, although they did it with an inheritance.

Is he still alive? I would be surprised if the postie delivers mail to him as they would see it as a danger....perhaps send him a registered letter which he has to sign for then see if the postie sees him

Today 14:15 Gardenman99

All those who talk of using weed killer chain saws and the like be warned, we had a very run down house in our road and some neighbors throught it was a good idea to go and blizz the garden whilst the owner was away. The owner ended up be awarded 29000 compensation by county court against the four bright sparks who broke the law.

spray it with weedkiller just round the edges to start with.if you seehim ask him if hed mind and do the lot-something strong

p.s.don't be seen

Do you have other neighbors? What do they all have to say about this? You may be the one closest to this eyesore, but it can affect the resale value of the other surrounding homes as well.

Talk to your neighbors...you share a common problem and there is more power in numbers!

I was reading that a house like his de values my property by £35,000!

Sounds like it would be well worth your time and money to come to an agreement with him where you pay to make his house look more appealing.

Even though this isn't really fair - it might be the optimum way forward.

I had wondered about this, but thought it might be a legal minefield. I do know someone who did it, just to be s helpful neighbour, ina very different set of circumstances.

Good luck with all of these suggestions! I live next door to a house that is just like your neighbour's. The back doors and windows are completely unusable because of the overgrown trees, ivy, etc. The only person who seems to get a response is the postman because he complains if he can't get to the front door to deliver post, or if he gets wet from overhanging branches when it's been raining. If the home owner lives in the house there is nothing that the council can/will do. Even contacting them about rats ( which do come into my garden from next door) gets the response of giving ME the phone number of the local pest co troll officer who charges £120 to come out twice. My neighbour is in her 50's, goes to work, and appears quite 'normal'. I despair of ever trying to sell.

I would contact the council and ask for a reduction in my council tax due to the run down state of the house next door, devaluing my property. Might help to get something done if they are losing money.

An owner occupied house is deemed in housing law not only to be a personal possession - it is a resource for future generations. If it is not looked after properly it can cause 'blight' - a legal term - to adjacent, attached houses and to a neighbourhood. Make an appointment to see a qualified housing officer (must be qualified! don't settle for an admin worker) in your nearest housing advice centre. List concerns and take pictures. The ivy etc. could possibly cause damp in your house eventually, and the roots of the trees in his garden could possibly grow to disturb and damage the foundations of your property. The Environmental Health department can investigate whether his living conditions are likely to encourage pests/rodents and impact on your/ your neighbours' health.

I would try to make friendly personal contact in the first instance to see if there is anything you can do. It may be he is on a very low income and/or disabled mentally or physically, in which case, he may be able to get financial/practical help towards repairs and improvements(again, the housing department of your local council will tell you/him what is available). If this is impossible, you could raise concerns with social services and local voluntary agencies about your neighbour 'not coping'. There are voluntary organisations in most areas to help and support people on their own over 50 who have mental or physical health problems or who are just plain lonely; and others which provide volunteers to assist with housework and gardening. Housing and social services are now expected to work more closely together. Hope this helps. Good luck.

I do feel for you. Would citizens advice be able to help: ivy can be very destructive of buildings, so if it's creeping on to your side of building, that could be start of making him do something.
I have similar, although less problematic. House I'm attached to is rented. Massive ivy infestation from their side. I pay for a gardener and hack at it myself. But unless they address problem from their side, it's an unending battle. Have contacted landlord. He refuses to deal with it. Also refusing to contribute to fence that last tenant's dog destroyed. Sigh.

Oh, just seen Cassandra's reply. Brilliant advice.

Shizam I agree Cassandra's response is very helpful. I hope the Government can actually make Councils responsible for taking action on houses etc which are being "left to rot" by their owners. The lack of housing stock is awful, these people should be made to renovate or hand them to their local Council to do so. I can't understand the mentality of a person who lets their property fall into severe dereliction, I do acknowledge that for some it is an illness which may have caused this but for many it's a case of "I don't care".