Nightmare Neighbour

valos_mummy

Hey all, wondering if you guys can help me out. Well, my best mate, she's the one with the problem.

Last week she moved into a new flat with another mate (rented; they've got 6 months contract). They were both really pleased about this, she's split up from her OH and didn't want to stay too long with her 'rents; his old flat had paper thin walls and you could hear everything so he wanted to get out ASAP. The place they've got now is really nice, in a nice area of town too, and at over £600 per month it should be too

They only moved in over Friday and Saturday. So you'd expect the usual moving in noise (unpacking, furniture being delivered etc). I and my OH went to see them on the second night with pressies. We stayed a while, had a sit down and a general chat. The TV was on, but at an acceptable volume, no loud music, stomping, shouting etc. Just four people having a chat and giggle. We also decided to order a pizza, although it didn't arrive till just after 11.

5 minutes after the pizza man came, the door went. It was the neighbour from underneath who immediately started mouthing off about the "noise". She didn't swear but she wasn't exactly tactful or quiet either! She went into rant mode about her husband who was ill in his bed (okay, so he's ill but we weren't to know!). My friends roommate answered so just apologised nicely and didn't answer back. When she left though, we were very !!!!!! was THAT about?! It especially upset my friend who's been through the mill with her break-up, and has had depression issues in the past; so she wanted a new fresh start which she could already see being tainted with whiny neighbours.

Unfortunately she has been proved right, they've done nothing but complain since. She's very upset at the thought of having to move from their perfect apartment because of them (they own the flat underneath so can't be turfed out). It's not really relevant, but they are old (in their 70s-80s I think) and my mates are in their late 20s but it's not like they're all night ravers getting into rows, playing drum and bass and having drunken fights all the time; they work full time and have to be up a bit early in the AM, but to expect nothing less than church mouse quietness from them is a bit much though.

The neighbour also said something weird the first time she came round. She told them they'd had this "noise" problem with the previous neighbours too. It sounds like they're used to the flat above being vacant and have launched a "noise" complaint against anyone who rents it out until they move.

What can my mate do, if anything?

Thanks :A

Savvy_Sue

Speak to the landlord? If they are aware of previous problems they should a) be expecting this and b) want to resolve it.

Is the flat carpeted?

valos_mummy

It is, we even had to take off our shoes, they were very proud of the nice cream carpet! I've said they should approach the LA and if it gets out of hand slap them with an harrasment order or the like.

Alikay

We've just spent a couple of weekends looking round flats for our 18 yo son to rent as he's just started a job in London and one thing I did notice in virtually all the flats was the noise level. It seems that just about every landlord installs laminate flooring, blinds instead of curtains and most of the furniture has metal or wooden legs, so there is nothing whatsoever to muffle any noise. I know the landlords choose this style for ease of maintenance and cleaning etc, but just moving a couple of chairs under the table makes a terrible racket!

If the landlord can't help, perhaps your friend could get a big cheap rug and remove the "echo-ey" feel with a few soft furnishings?

EDIT
crossed post - they've got carpets.....hmmm. Hopefully the landlord can help.

Zazen999

I would take a bunch of flowers round, and say sorry for the excess noise when they moved in. I would ask, if there are any noise issues, then could they please just let you know what the noise is and when it is happening so that you can find out what the problem is and look to rectifying it.

Then, if for example it is the getting up and walking down the stairs that is the issue, I'd video myself doing it, and then you can show it to them [the next time they complain] and/or the LA/a solicitor to show that the noise is either not coming from you or that it is reasonable to walk down stairs at that level; until they invent hover-shoes then your friend does actually have to have their feet and shoes in contact with the actual floor to get from room to room....

ie call their bluff...

Sirbendy

Oh, we're in a similar situation..if we vacuum, the flat below crank up their music to floor-shaking volume..last time they did it at 1am, I went down and said "turn it down, or I'll shut off your power"...they then said they were being "good neighbours", and "hadn't complained about the noise the cats make".

The cats don't make noise...the problem I suspect is that it's a !!!!! conversion. The carpets are thin, there is no underlay, it's stapled direct to the floorboards, and it's an old house. The floors bounce and creak, and I'm not certain if they realise, but we can hear them talking in their living room/bedroom, and we often hear them having sex.

I've tried thick rugs..makes little difference. I'm going to have a chat with them at some point and say "look, the conversion is crap. You can hear us, we can hear you. Either we both get onto our landlords and hassle, or we live with it and move at the end of contract, as it'll just keep happening."

The big !!!!!! for me is we have a sprog on the way..they're not going to be wanting a sprog above crying in the night, which WILL happen...and if they turn their music up as a weapon, I'll be calling in the police...and I don't want to do THAT either.

I try to be a nice person...I don't want hassle..just a quiet life and to be left to my own devices. I never intended to annoy them with noise..but we never realised how poorly noiseproofed the flats are! It's not intentional noise..it's unavoidable living within a naff structure.

I will be moving at the end of the tenancy or before if we can...I go home and feel stressed out by the place, which is a shame...as a place, the flat is lovely! I just can't relax in it anymore.

valos_mummy

They've had more grief. She was sat on the sofa watching some tv and this time it was the man (the one who's meant to be sick in bed!!). Just told her "If I were you, I'd shut up!" :mad:

Oh it gets better, they've spoke to the estate agent about it, and they told her that the neighbours compaints WERE the reason the previous tenants moved out!:eek::eek::eek:

Of course, there's little they can do against the estate agents I suppose, they had no legal obligation to mention it, is that right?

I've said she should go to environmental services herself, get them to come round and measure the noise levels, then once they have proof they are fine, go to the police and get an harrassment order taken out against the neighbours. Also go to citizens advice. And contact the landlord directly, I'm sure they'd be very angry to hear the neighbours are losing them rent money.

Is there anything else you would do/have done if you've been in this situation.

Zazen999

valos_mummy wrote: »

Is there anything else you would do/have done if you've been in this situation.

Yes, i've already posted mine - calling their bluff.

ailuro2

Tell the complaining neighbours to phone the envirnmental health officers to get the noise levels checked out - your friends cannot be held responsible for normal day to day living noises.

It's a flat - there are people on at least one side, and people above and below, they (the neighbours) might have downshifted from a house and need to get used to almost 'communal ' living!

I used to hear the bloke upstairs chasing his girlfriend around the flat and her shrieking - thankfully it wasn't domestic abuse, more their idea of foreplay:o but it was still embarrassing to hear. That was in a stone built tenement, so heaven help anyone living in a more modern building!:eek:

Sirbendy

I'd suggest a cheapie dictaphone or similar to be used in these "confrontations", kept concealed. I'm afraid if anyone said to me "if I was you, I'd shut up", they'd be on the recieveing end of a visit from the plod, as that to me would constitute threatening.

I always use my 1gb "stick" MP3 player..it's tiny and portable, and has a handy record function. Evidence is always good.

I'll be taking mine when I have a chat with downstairs...I'm not expecting trouble, but it never hurts.

My landlady seems to be aware of the noise issue..she did say "oh yes, the noise travels a bit, doesn't it?" when I said I'd already had this chat with them.

I'm going to suggest to downstairs that they chat to their landlord about it, who is friends with ours, and I'll chat to ours..and we'll see if we can do anything there..we're both stuck in contract after all. Failing that, I'll be investigating other options..

valos_mummy

Thanks guys, will pass that on. They had another mate round tonight before heading out. 10.30 pm and they leave the flat, the neighbour (man) is stood right outside saying "Thank God!". :mad::mad::mad::mad:

If it was me, I'd be fighting all the way, but they just might give up and move out after 6 months for the sake of the quiet life. Mind you, another few months of this and they change their minds and decide to fight the barstewards!!!

edit to say: I've advised her to just call the police and keep a journal if they do anything else now. Just found out that they'd told her to get her "husband" to deal with things, she told them she didn't have one, then it was "boyfriend" and she said no, don't have one of those either! And when they eventually cottoned on that her flatmate is gay they had some rather homophobic things to say about that! The woman apparently is an alcoholic who sits on her bum drinking wine all day. And the husband is a mysoginist (sp!) whom, when his wife came to back him up in his latest rant told her she could shut up too!!