Light nuisance is when a powerful light shines directly into a living space of your home.
To be considered a nuisance, the light must be very bright, switch on and off or move around often and be causing an unreasonable impact to living in your home.
If you are bothered by a light, you should first talk to the person responsible and explain the issues you are having. They may be unaware that their light is causing an issue and a minor adjustment to the angle of the light, or an agreement about when the lights should be turned on or off may be all that is needed.
If you cannot reach an agreement with your neighbour, we can deal with light that is causing a statutory nuisance in the view of an environmental health officer.
Report a light nuisance
Use our online form to report a light nuisance. You will need to tell us where the light is and what you have done about the issue so far.
What to consider when installing security lights
If you are installing security lights:
- use minimum wattage lamps, for domestic security lights 150W is enough
- angle your lights downwards
- adjust your sensors so that they only pick up movement in the area needed
- if using uplighting, install hoods or shields to reduce wasted upward light
- do not install equipment which spreads light above the horizontal
- contact the Institution of Lighting Professionals if you need advice