How to be a good neighbour

Students make up a large proportion of the local community, and it's great when you can feel at home in a new area. There are so many ways you can contribute to your community and help others out. We encourage all students to respect the local neighbourhood and wider community.

   

Moving in

If you’re living in private accommodation, introduce yourself to your neighbours. It’s always nice to be friendly to your neighbours, so take the first step and say hello. It’s good to do this in the first few days of moving in so you can build rapport from the start.

   

Being responsible

Lincoln is a relatively small city, and many families live alongside you in the community. Remember when coming in from nights out to keep the noise level down and be mindful that many of your neighbours are working or have children. If a neighbour makes a request, take it on board. It will be much more difficult for you to deal with if you ignore it and they escalate the complaint to Cloud, the Council or the University.

You will be aware that smoking isn't permitted in properties and your neighbours might be more sensitive to this if you have a close outdoor area. Remember that smoking or taking of illegal substances of any kind is against the law, and your neighbours or housemates are within their rights to report this behaviour to the Police. 

Being a good neighbour involves taking responsibility for your house and ensuring you keep your property tidy and clean. Ensure you follow the correct bin collection days and make sure you are disposing waste in the correct bin to ensure the bins are never overflowing. Arrange for larger bags of waste to be removed or take these to the Household Recycling Centre. You can find more information about disposing of your waste on this blog: Decluttering your Home

   

Consequences of Disruptive Behaviour in the Local Area

The local council has the power to serve notices on tenants for noise nuisance or for areas which have been allowed to become a health hazard.  They have the power to impose significant fines for repeated breaches and can also confiscate music equipment if there is a significant disturbance.

The University may take disciplinary action against students where specific complaints have been received about disruptive behaviour.

We recommend doing the following:

• Keep noise to a minimum in residential streets, especially when returning late at night.
• If you do organise house parties do this at the weekend and always warn your neighbours of parties in advance.
• Keep the outside areas of your property clean and tidy. Don't leave rubbish in garden areas.
• Keep noise levels down when entering and leaving your house at night (11pm-7am), and ask any visitors to do the same.
• Use a low volume setting or headphones if you want to listen to music or watch TV after 11pm.
• Avoid noisy socialising in your garden after 10.30pm on weekdays.
• Only put out your rubbish the night before your collection day and make sure all rubbish is placed in bins provided.

You can find out more about the City of Lincoln Council's guidance for nuisance noise on their website here: Lincoln.gov.uk

   

Driving and parking

Holding a permit does not guarantee a space. If you’re parking your car in marked areas, don’t park your car in your neighbours’ spaces or in areas marked as ‘private’ and check you have the right permit for the area you are parking in. Don’t obstruct the pavement as this can create difficulties for elderly people and young children using pathways. It can also prevent locals using the space outside their homes.

   

Social media can be great...

However, please remember to keep safe, be respectful, and professional. You should also ensure you have consent from everyone appearing in the content you post. The use of social media can have a major positive impact on your personal, professional, and academic life if used appropriately but be mindful of posting anything that identifies where you or your neighbours live.

   

Get involved

Whether it’s by joining the local community Facebook pages or getting involved in a neighbourhood watch scheme, there are many great ways to represent the student community positively and learn more about the people you live amongst. If you’ve moved, we recommend registering to vote so that you can have your say in any local or general elections. You can register to vote at gov.uk.

Whether you follow politics or not, it plays an important part of many aspects of our life. You’ll be aware of the significant changes this has had on university students, such as the rise of tuition fees. Politics doesn’t just have an impact on universities, it has the power to shape our lives completely. So, it’s important that we all register to vote to contribute to decide who it is that makes these kinds of decisions on our behalf.

We encourage you to get involved in volunteering locally; meet local charities and find out how you can get further involved in your community. Volunteering can make a positive impact on your local community whilst being a great addition to your CV.

   

Security in the city

In every city you need to take precautions to feel safe, from feeling secure in your home to feeling secure when you’re out and about. Although Lincoln is a friendly city, we want you to stay safe. Lincolnshire Police have worked in partnership with the University of Lincoln to bring you a comprehensive guide to staying safe in Lincoln, that you can find here: Student Safety Guide

If you do feel unsafe at any time, please call 101 for non-emergencies and 999 for emergencies.