The warmer temperatures fuelling a surge in bust-ups between neighbours, with early morning mowing one of the biggest causes of fights
20:30, 31 May 2025Updated 20:36, 31 May 2025
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Gung ho gardeners are giving up on lawn and order during the heatwave by firing up their mowers before 8am.
The warmer temperatures in the UK over the past few weeks have seen a spike in people sprucing up their gardens. But it’s fuelling a surge in bust-ups between neighbours, with early morning mowing one of the biggest causes of fights.
Some 20% said they would think nothing of firing up their mower and other machinery before 8am. And thousands said they wouldn’t hesitate to trim the grass before 7am, even if it woke people up.
More than half said they thought it was perfectly acceptable to get mowing before 9am. And some said they did it on purpose to take revenge on neighbours they don’t like.
Mow the lawn, but don’t do it before 8am(Image: Getty)
There is no law in the UK that dictates exactly when people can or cannot mow their lawn. But many councils prohibit doing DIY or using noisy machinery early in the mornings or on a Sunday.
But around 70% of Brits said they had left annoyed when their neighbour mowed the lawn while they are trying to sleep.
Other things that were getting people hot under the collar during the sunny spells were having to look at overgrown gardens, neighbours having BBQ’s and listening to get-togethers.
Doing it early in the morning will annoy a lot of people(Image: Getty Images)
A quarter said they hated hearing neighbours talking loudly, whilst some griped at hearing kids playing and laughing.
Greg Richardson from Toolstation said: “Noisy inconveniences early in the morning can result in some serious neighbourly grudges.
“Many of us like to get our garden chores out of the way, so we can relax and enjoy our outdoor space.
“Our research shows that the vast majority of the public think it’s perfectly acceptable to begin mowing from 9am.”
Daily Star says – don’t touch that mower
Oh mow you don’t. More than half of trigger-happy turf owners have admitted to firing up the lawnmower at 8am.
Guerrilla warfare grass trimmers said they couldn’t care less if it wakes up those next door.
And some said they even do it on purpose just to wind up neighbours because they don’t like them.
Others said they would go so far as to get the grass guzzler going at 7am on a Sunday. Who wants to get up at the crack of dawn to mow a lawn anyway?
It might not be illegal, but it sure is a selfish thing to do. Plus noisy, unsociable neighbours can actually risk being fined thousands by councils if complaints are made.
Everyone deserves to have a lie in at the weekend, especially on a Sunday.
As our story tells, they’re risking residential armagarden.
So, next time you’re going through a rough patch, it doesn’t mean you should ruin someone else’s day.