To live in a great neighborhood, you have to be a great neighbour. Being on good terms with your neighbours creates a friendly, safer community. Your personal enjoyment and comfort are increased knowing you’re surrounded by friends.
To brush up on your neighbourhood etiquette, follow these simple tips.
INTRODUCE YOURSELF
1. Say hello or wave when you see a neighbour.
2. Give your neighbour your phone number.
3. Be generous with compliments. Let your neighbours know you like them.
SHOW RESPECT
4. Don’t be the neighbourhood gossip.
5. Respect your neighbour’s personal space.
6. When challenges arise, make the extra effort to settle the issue in-person, quickly and fairly. Try to find a middle ground.
7. If you borrow something, return it immediately after use.
8. If you break something, pay to fix it, or replace it.
9. Drive safely with an eye for neighbourhood children and pets
MAINTAIN YOUR HOME AND YARD
10. Cut your grass and trim your hedges regularly.
11. Invest in your landscaping. Plant flowering perennials and shrubs to cut down on garden maintenance.
12. Tend to exterior home maintenance. Wash the windows, clean the gutters, repair broken roof tiles, etc.
13. Store your car, bikes, sporting equipment, children’s toys, and DYI projects in the garage not the driveway.
KEEP THE NOISE DOWN
14. Limit the late-night parties.
15. Turn your music down.
16. Don’t mow your lawn at 7:00am in the morning.
17. Don’t honk your car horn every time you leave or return to your home.
18. Keep family arguments off the front lawn.
MIND YOUR PET
19. Keep your pet off neighbours’ lawns.
20. Pick up after your pet, every time.
21. Quiet your barking dog. Keep you pet inside if they’re causing a nuisance.
22. Be mindful that not everyone loves pets. Animals can cause fear and allergic reactions. Always keep your pet on a leach during neighbourhood walks.
TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD
23. Manage your trash. Avoid overloading your trash cans; don’t put them out on the street too early; and remove them once emptied.
24. If your neighbourhood has a Homeowners Association, respect the rules and any bylaws.
25. Help maintain shared spaces like sideways, neighbourhood parks, and playgrounds.
26. Volunteer at a local retirement home or at your child’s school.
27. Help organize and attend neighbourhood meetings and events
28. Join a local organization, a social club, or take a class at a community centre.
PERFORM RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS
29. Offer to water your neighbour’s garden or shovel their sidewalk.
30. Help a neighbour carry-in their groceries or move a large piece of furniture
31. Bring in your neighbour’s trash cans.
32. Ask an elderly neighbour if they need assistance with any chores.
33. Cook dinner for a neighbour who is sick, has just had a baby, or has experienced a loss.
34. Bring your neighbour a cold drink if you see them working outside on a hot day.
35. Bake an extra batch of cookies for your neighbour.
36. Send holiday cards.
SOCIAL FUNCTIONS
37. Extend invites to holiday parties.
38. Host a neighbourhood block party at your home.
39. Ask guests visiting your home to only park in your driveway, immediately in front of your house, or in designated visitor parking. Ensure they don’t block your neighbours’ driveways or abuse available neighbourhood parking spots.
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