Problems with Neighbours

Gambit

Afternoon all,

Hope everyone is enjoying some sunshine today! :beer:

Just wanted to see if I could get anyone's advice on a problem I have with noisy and inconsiderate neighbours and if anyone else has been in the same boat. I became a first time buyer last year and bought a flat with my girlfriend in South London. We were so happy to finally be on the property ladder and have a place to call our own.

Unfortunately the peace soon ended as the children using the communal garden seem to think of it as their own personal playground. I dont mean they just play out there but they scream and shout at the top of their lungs as they run and cycle around the garden, playing on the laundry airers and have even started marking the pavement slabs outside with start and finish lines for their games. Needless to say, the noise disturbs us especially during the summer when the windows are open.

Now the first port of call was to speak to the parents directly so I spoke to the mother who told me that she would keep an eye on them more and try to control them and I thought that would be the end of it. Unfortunately things only improved for a few days and soon the children started making noise again with no parental supervision in sight. I approached the mother again and this time she was not as polite telling me that “they are only children” and that she could not control what they did.

I've spoken to our property managing agents who said they have spoken to the letting agents who deal with this property and have spoken to the tenants but unforutunately things have not improved. And with the weather improving every day they are out there more and more. So far I know of two other flats who are disrupted by this family but nothing seems to be done. I've been told to approach the letting agent directly to explain the problems in the hope that they might start to act as more flats start to complain. At present only one other flat has complained to them directly.

I know for a fact that the tenants have broken some of the regulations of the lease so will be letting the letting agent know this but I've been told this letting agent isnt very proactive. Even when the tenant try to kick in another of my neighbours door their response was "well you must have provocted him" which gives you an idea of their attitude. So this may be a wasted email but I want to try and get things resolved and this is the only way I can think of moving things forward.

So has anyone else been through these types of problems? Is there anything I can do if the letting agent ignores my email? Is there anything that can be done if the regulations of the lease keep being broken?

Thanks in advance

bitemebankers

Oh. My. God.

Children playing the garden!

I'd call the police if I were you. And social services and the health and safety executive too. This must be stopped!

BitterAndTwisted

Pro-active? How much power do you think letting agents have over the tenants they find for their landlords?

Quite honestly, I think you'd be happier in a detached house in a small village rather than a flat as the sound of kids playing is pretty unavoidable in towns and cities. Just thank God it's kids because they generally go to bed quite a bit earlier than you do.

Oh, and whatever these "regulations in the lease" that you think your neighbours have broken: unless any of them directly affect you I suggest that you mind your own business!

JQ.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Is this a genuine post? You have got to be joking, surely.

Children playing in a garden and making noise, what evil twisted things will they think of next.

Seriously, I suggest you sell the flat you purchased above a communal garden and buy one at the top of a tower block.;)

kazwookie

I suggest you move.

xtcc

Firstly you do have my sympathy, anything that spoils your enjoyment of your home is not acceptable.

Kids do have a right to play but the mother and father should be more considerate and maybe get off their bums and take the children to the local park. I think they are the ones who need a house and garden.

You could try enviromental health, firstly they send an offical letter and then if it still persists they will come and monitor the noise levels and take court action.
Home owners tend not to go for this option though as future buyers can find out about neighbour issues through them.

I'd write to the owner of their property and say that you will take the above action if they fail to speak to their tenant regarding the situation.

Sambucus_Nigra

Are you SURE they are children? I didn't think they allowed children outdoors any more.

blessings3

No wonder children are obese- oh no they are running around again and they are using the communal gardens to gasp -play in

The_Blue_Hatter

Gambit wrote: »

Afternoon all,


Unfortunately the peace soon ended as the children using the communal garden seem to think of it as their own personal playground. I dont mean they just play out there but they scream and shout at the top of their lungs as they run and cycle around the garden, playing on the laundry airers and have even started marking the pavement slabs outside with start and finish lines for their games. Needless to say, the noise disturbs us especially during the summer when the windows are open.


Thanks in advance

Unbelieveable behaviour!!!! I would have thought these children would at least be keying your car, smashing your windows or robbing you in the street by now!

Seriously, where do you expect these children to play? and as for the "even started to mark pavement slabs" im sure my Great Nan done this to play hopscotch as a child!

I suppose you find it strange they think of you as the "miserable b$st$rd who lives down the hall".

DannyboyMidlands

Jeez. If you don't like noise then don't go buying a flat in south London. You're lucky that childrens laughter is your only problem. When I used to live there the kids wore bandanas over their faces and hung aroung in crews of 20 trying to look tough.

eco

you have to suffer it to understand it. i own a house and the 2 either side are rented, i've been there the longest and before anyone say's move, why should I, the tennants in those don't think there's a boundry wall or a fence they think if there ball comes in my garden it's perfectly ok to trample my plants to get it, and I understand the noise and the parents been nowhere in sight, that's why they send them out, they don't want to be pestered they think it's the job of the neighbours to keep an eye on there kids.

When we were kids we were told to go to the park if we wanted to make a lot of noise and not disturb the neighbours and as for running into other peoples gardens whenever to get a ball that was a no no, my mum would have had a fit if we were a nuisance, but that doesn't count these day's kids are allowed to do what they want when they want and no can tell them otherwise. My hope is all the people who thinks it's reasonable to listen to that kind of noise on a daily basis and not complain get the same thing themselves in a few years cos they'll change there tune fast enough.