Legal Literacy - Living as neighbors in Indonesia istricky. Sometimes it's harmonious, but often it's frustrating because of neighbors' "unique" behavior. From fighting over parking spaces, a hobby of burning trash, to karaoke at 2 a.m.

On social media, complaints about toxic neighbors are always a hot topic. But in 2026, you don't just have to grumble on social media. Indonesian law, especially through the New Criminal Code (Law No. 1 of 2023), has strict rules about this.

Here are legal answers to 4 questions from netizens that most often appear on the timeline:

"Sir, my neighbor parks their car in front of my gate so I can't get out. Can I deflate their tires?"

Answer: DON'T!

It's frustrating, but deflating tires or scratching someone else's car—even if they're parked haphazardly—is a criminal act of Property Damage.

  • In the New Criminal Code (Article 521), you could be fined Category IV (up to IDR 200 million) or imprisoned for damaging someone else's property.  

Correct Legal Solutions:

  1. Civil Lawsuit (Tort): Parking that obstructs the road is a Tort according to Article 1365 of the Civil Code. You can sue for compensation if your activities are hampered (e.g., late for work, wasted gasoline).   
  2. Report to the Transportation Agency (Towing): In Jakarta (Regional Regulation No. 5/2014) and other major cities, cars without garages parked on public roads can be forcefully towed and fined a levy. Just report it through government applications like JAKI or SP4N-LAPOR!.