The 3 Things That Make You a Bad Neighbor, According to a New Survey
A new survey reveals what actions can make you a good neighbor—and what behaviors may make you a bad one.
Do you have good neighbors? More importantly, are you a good neighbor? You probably are—three out of four people say they think they have a good neighbor—but you also probably want to keep those relationships in tip-top shape. Fortunately, the 2018 Good Neighbors Report has a list of the behaviors that may make you a bad neighbor, whether you realize it or not.
The recent survey from home search site Realtor.com asked 1,000 people across the United States how they felt about their neighbors, having them rank the best qualities a neighbor could have in addition to the worst.
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The worst trait a neighbor can have, according to 67 percent of respondents, is being disrespectful of property. Being loud came in second, and untrustworthiness was third. Being nosy, being messy, and being unfriendly were also signs of a bad neighbor. Essentially, if your daily actions disturb the peace of your neighborhood, the people living around you may think you're a bad neighbor—and you may not be able to count on an invite to the next block party.
Being a good neighbor requires more than just not doing these things, though. According to the survey, 59 percent of people think the best neighbors are trustworthy. Being quiet, friendly, and respectful also came in as top good neighbor qualities. But you don’t have to be friends with your neighbors to be a good neighbor—only 14 percent of people said being a good friend was vital to being a good neighbor.
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The vast majority of survey respondents said they had a good neighbor, but 17 percent weren’t sure if they had good neighbors—possibly because they didn’t know their neighbors well enough to say either way. (39 percent of people said they were never welcomed to their neighborhood, in any capacity.) Good thing there’s an easy fix: 65 percent of people said a simple introduction was the best way to welcome a new neighbor—and a potential future good neighbor.
