Light problem

Report a problem to us

Report a light problem

An example of a light which may constitute as a statutory nuisance is where a light is spilling on to a property when curtains are closed, causing a neighbour's rooms to be lit up at night. There are certain exemptions that prevent certain lighting from being a statutory nuisance (e.g. street lights).

Where possible, try talking to your neighbour about the problem in the first instance. Download a suggested letter (DOC) to send to your neighbours. You can then alter and amend accordingly if you are suffering from nuisance as a first step/alternative before contacting us to formally complain.

What happens after reporting the problem to us

Please refer to investigating your complaint

As a householder, you can avoid causing a light nuisance by making sure that you:

  • Do not fit unnecessary lights
  • Do not use excessively bright lights; a 150 watt tungsten halogen lamp is quite adequate; 300 or 500 watt bulbs are too powerful for domestic security lighting
  • Do not leave lights on when they are not needed
  • Consider controlling lights with passive infra-red detectors, ensuring that they are correctly aligned and installed. For a porch light that is going to be left on all night, a nine watt compact fluorescent lamp is normally adequate
  • Re-angle or partially shade lights so that the light only falls on the area that needs to be illuminated