There are various forms of nuisance caused by people in the neighbourhood. These include neighbours making noise, too many people living in a property (for example, due to illegal subletting), a resident behaving strangely or noisily inside or outside the property, or a rough sleeper near a vacant property.
We would first advise you to discuss the nuisance you are experiencing with the person or persons causing it. If that does not work, you can contact various organisations.
If you are experiencing a nuisance in your neighbourhood that cannot be resolved through discussions with the person causing it, you, as a resident, can report the nuisance in your neighbourhood to the local authority online.
The Apeldoorn Municipal Council has authorised the mayor to apply the Act on Tackling Neighbourhood Nuisance in order to address extreme neighbourhood nuisance. This applies to both owner-occupied and rented properties. For rented properties, a agreement concluded between the local authority, the police and the housing associations. This enables the mayor to impose a specific behavioural order, subject to a penalty payment, on the person or persons responsible.
Incidentally, this does not apply in every situation involving a nuisance. The nuisance must be long-term and serious, and there must be no other available solution. If none of this has helped, the mayor may issue the aforementioned behavioural directive, accompanied by an order subject to a penalty payment, an order subject to administrative coercion or, as a last resort, the imposition of a temporary exclusion order.
Police
In the event of acute, serious neighbourhood nuisance, please call the police on 0900 88 44. In dangerous situations, you can of course also call 112.
Housing association (or other landlord)
If you or the person causing the disturbance are renting a property from a housing association, please contact your landlord. Housing associations have a great deal of experience in dealing with nuisance in residential areas.
Neighbourhood Mediation
Neighbourhood mediation helps people resolve disputes with their neighbours if you are unable to sort things out yourselves. You can contact the council’s neighbourhood mediation service by telephone on 088 784 64 87 or by email apeldoorn@buurtbemiddeling.nu. Trained volunteers – the neighbourhood mediators – listen to both sides of the story. They do not pass judgement and remain neutral. With the mediators’ guidance, you and your neighbours resolve the conflict yourselves. This enables you to talk to one another again, even if the nuisance arises once more.
Neighbourhood mediation is available to all residents of our municipality who are currently in a conflict situation or at risk of finding themselves in one. There is no charge for this service. However, we do expect you to consider a solution that is acceptable to all parties and to cooperate in finding it. Naturally, the mediators are bound by a duty of confidentiality. Further information can be found at the neighbourhood mediation website.
Centre for Youth and Family (CJG)
The CJG is the place to go if you have any questions about health, parenting and growing up. This centre is there for all (future) parents, children and young people in the municipality. They provide preventive and minor healthcare. If necessary, they refer parents and young people to other forms of youth support. GPs, medical specialists and youth health doctors can also make referrals. The telephone number for the Youth and Family Centre is (055) 357 88 75, or visit the CJG website.
Safe at Home
Safe at Home is a merger of the Domestic Violence Support Centres and the Child Abuse Advice and Reporting Centres. Veilig Thuis is the central reporting centre for all forms of domestic violence and child abuse, and it ensures a more coordinated approach to tackling child abuse and domestic violence. Veilig Thuis is available to everyone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 0800 20 00.
Municipality
If you are experiencing a nuisance in your neighbourhood that cannot be resolved through discussions with the person causing it, you, as a resident, can report the nuisance to the local authority online via the button above.
The Apeldoorn Municipal Council has granted the mayor the power to apply the Act on Tackling Neighbourhood Nuisances in order to address extreme neighbourhood nuisance. This means that the mayor can impose a specific behavioural order on the person causing the nuisance, subject to a penalty payment.
Incidentally, this is not possible in every case of nuisance. The nuisance must be long-term and serious, and there must be no other available solution. If none of this has helped, the mayor may issue the aforementioned behavioural order, subject to a penalty payment.
For example, loitering youths, traffic or graffiti. You can report online to the local authority.