Please help re renting, feeling desperate!

LittleMissInDebt

Hi

If anyone could give me any advice I'd really appreciate it. I moved into a rented house last week and for a night or so it was okay and then the music from next door started and it hasn't stopped. It's so loud, and constant. Last night it started at 1am and went on until gone 4am. I went and knocked and asked them to turn it down and they said they would, and about half an hour later it was turned down a tiny bit. I've spent most of today out of the house because I just couldn't face it all day after the half an hour sleep I managed to get last night. Came back and the house was quiet, when I walked back through the door, then about thirty seconds later it started again and has got progressively louder.

Anyway I will bring it up with them again, but have been told that they're always like this and it's pretty constant. I'm pretty devestated, I looked really carefully for a house for me and my two children and this seemed so ideal, and I was so disappointed at first because the landlady was reluctant to rent to me (I think because I'm a single mum although nothing like that was said), so I offered her six months rent in advance, which was everything I have and more (I took a loan) because I just wanted to get settled and enjoy spending time with my children rather than the stress which living between homes the last six months has caused...

Sorry to ramble, it's hard to concentrate with the noise... but basically is there anything I can do to break the tenancy early and at least get some of my money back. I can't honestly see things changing and I feel so stuck!

I don't have a copy of my tenancy to hand, but when I signed it, I wasn't looking for any get out clause on my part because I had visited the house a few times, at different times and it all seemed perfect.


Thanks
LMID

siliconbits

Try to get in touch with your local Citizen Advise Bureau.

nearlyrich

You don't have to put up with anti social behaviour from neighbours, call the council environmental health department they should have an on call number which your local police station can supply.

LittleMissInDebt

Thanks to you both, to be honest (and I know it's a bit pathetic) I'm pretty much non-confrontational and its very difficult for me which is why I'd just rather cut and run. But I will do something if there's no way of doing that because I just can't afford to do anything else right now. Ironically the neighbourhood the house is in is the one in my area I always said I'd never live in because it is a bit rough, but I fell in love with the house and the idea of the kids having space... I just feel really devestated (honestly not to strong a word) right now.

Anyway thanks again, I will take your advice and see what can be done.

LMID

clutton_2

as a landlord - you will find that you have signed a legally binding contract with your landlord to stay for 6 or 12 months. he is most unlikely to even think about giving you the money back.

so, your only course of action is to contact Environmental Health at the council. They are responsible for noise nuisance. they can give you a Noise Diary to fill in so thta there is a record of the nuisance, and they can provide noise-measuring equipment to measure the intensity of the noise. They will write to the neighbour - not mentioning your name - and they do have the legal powers to remove the music system as long as they have enough evidence - but this all takes time - so contact them tomorrow and get the ball rolling

in the meantime - get some ear defenders/plugs for night time so that you could try to get some sleep

londoner1998

Oh, dear, so sorry to hear this. I was in exactly the same situation just over two years ago...Like Clutton said, get in touch with the Council's Environmental Department as soon as possible and start keeping a noise dairy. Without this, there is not much you will be able to prove. I ended up phoning them everytime the situation repeated itself (ie every night , pretty much) and then emailing when they started having drunken fights (it got extremely violent and scary) in order to keep a written trail of complaints. They wrote to my neighbours several times and one night I heard the Environmental officials coming to pay them a visit after I rang them up at 1 am on a Tuesday. It took six months, but in the end they moved out.
Just do everything by the book and persevere with it. Itis not fair that you have to change your plans and your children's routine just becasue these people don't know how to behave.
Good luck.

Jowo_2

Why not have a chat with other neighbours and see if you can join forces in your action with the local council for their anti-social behaviour? Someone else may be in exactly the same situation as yourself and be glad with the mutual support.

Noisy neighbours are generally out of scope for tenant/landlord responsibilities or ending a contract - it's not something the landlord can really influence or control.

Are the noisy neighbours social housing tenants? I once had a neighbour who used to leave his stereo on full blast for the entire weekend when he went away (to deter burglars, apparently), play the tin whistle at all hours and play the same record on full volume time and time again (apparently I should have been grateful for his good music taste, didn't everyone love Van Morrison?). Once he was sent a letter by his social landlord, it went quiet.

Fire_Fox

Contact both Environmental Health and your landlady in writing. She should really be made aware of this issue, if she isn't already.

lizzielou

Is the house next door owned or rented? You could contact the landlord if rented.

clutton_2

i forgot - if these noise-makers are renting, then their landlord is responsible for their behaviour (dont know how or why, but tis the law)

so, if they are renters, contact the council Private sector Housing Advisor and ask to talk to whoever has responsibilityi for ASBOSs in the private sector and tell them all about it - they will then contact the land lord and get him to contact his tenants

ruggedtoast

Its a horrible situation to be in, but at least the worst that will happen is that you are gone in 6 months. One of the advantages of renting.

Your neighbours are going to work out its you complaining about then soon enough so unless you think theyre really dodgy you may as well drop them a polite note yourself explaining how stressed their music is making you. They may turn it down a bit if you ask nicely.