Annoying Neighbours - Advice please

Polaroid_2

Hello,
I’m hoping someone can help. The elderly couple that lived in the flat beneath mine moved out last month and the landlady has let the flat out to some boys that work for her. The problem is that it’s 1 bedroom flat! They have converted the living room into another bedroom and there is always at least 4/5 people in the flat at any one time & they are loud. They shout, scream & laugh loudly until 3-4am in the morning EVERY morning. Doors are slammed constantly & I now park my car on the street and not in my car space to avoid them as whenever I walked past they stare at me as if I’m wearing a mini skirt or something (I dress like an old granny btw)

I recently found out a couple of them work shifts hence the slamming doors at 4am.

I live in a conservation area so I’m working whether they should have got planning permission to change the flat and secondly, whether there are rules about how many people can stay in the property. Also they have put up an enormous satellite dish. It’s INSANE! Does anyone know where I should start?

I really wouldn’t mind the other stuff but I desperately need a good nights sleep!!

Really would appreciate any help/advice x

poppysarah

If it's a HMO then it might need to be registered/licenced and have more safety features.
Speak to the local council.
As long as other people can notice the disturbance then it won't look like it's you who has complained.

BitterAndTwisted

You don't need planning permission to use a sitting-room as a bedroom. If the people downstairs don't think they're overcrowded then they aren't. That's their business and not yours. People looking at you funny isn't an offence in this country yet.

Deal with the noise-nuisance by approaching them yourself. If they're not interested in being considerate speak to the landlord but be aware that the landlord has little power to act other than to legally evict them.

jojo_2012_2

I agree step 1 is always to speak to them and give them a chance to be quiet. If you don't feel comfortable doing it in person write a note, but I personally feel letters can be misinterpreted too easily.

Oxid8uk

Are you able to contact the landlady to let her know of the disturbance? She may not be aware that her tenants are noisy and therefore cannot do anything about it.

You ask whether planning permission is required for changing the flat, I am assuming you mean using the living room as a bedroom? As far as I am aware planning wouldn't be required for this as it won't be altering the external appearance of the property.

Polaroid_2

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

You don't need planning permission to use a sitting-room as a bedroom. If the people downstairs don't think they're overcrowded then they aren't. That's their business and not yours. People looking at you funny isn't an offence in this country yet.

Deal with the noise-nuisance by approaching them yourself. If they're not interested in being considerate speak to the landlord but be aware that the landlord has little power to act other than to legally evict them.

Well it is my business as I pay rent in the flat above & they are making my homelife a nightmare when it was previously lovely.

I actually have said hello to them (they ignored me & kept leering) & dropped down a bin rota (he snatched it from my hands & slammed the door).

My lovely neighbour went around to ask them to keep the noise down after 10pm and the chap she spoke to got hysterical so she quickly retreated. I heard the commotion but didn't realise she was the cause. She has had to move her bed into her study for a nights sleep.

Polaroid_2

Oxid8uk wrote: »

Are you able to contact the landlady to let her know of the disturbance? She may not be aware that her tenants are noisy and therefore cannot do anything about it.

You ask whether planning permission is required for changing the flat, I am assuming you mean using the living room as a bedroom? As far as I am aware planning wouldn't be required for this as it won't be altering the external appearance of the property.

Thanks. Yes, I'm not sure about plannnig permission as we live in a very strict conservation area. Basically I'm clutching at straws!

One of my neighbours has arranged a get together for everyone (bar the annoying neighbours) tonight so I'm hoping one has the landlady's details. I'm the only other person in the building who rents and my flat is owned by someone else.

It's getting to a point that I'm considering moving. I feel really so stressed at the moment. I love my flat but I need sleep!

marcowil

Whilst it may be easier for you all to sound off without the alleged noisy neghbours there surely they have a right to be there since the meeting concerns them? They may not realise just how much of a nisance they are causing or, when spoken to in a calm and collected way might offer to do something about it.

By not including them in any meeting you risk alienating them and never finding a sucessful outcome.

Oxid8uk

Polaroid wrote: »

One of my neighbours has arranged a get together for everyone (bar the annoying neighbours) tonight so I'm hoping one has the landlady's details. I'm the only other person in the building who rents and my flat is owned by someone else.

It's getting to a point that I'm considering moving. I feel really so stressed at the moment. I love my flat but I need sleep!

The other option is for you to contact your landlord and tell them about the problem. I’m sure they wouldn’t be too happy knowing they might lose their tenant because of someone else’s unruly tenants. If you can get the landlady’s details you could give them to your landlord for them to contact her.

If there is no improvement after talking with the landlady you could always inform Environmental Health but your home-owning neighbours might not want to get involved with that.

mummyfie

we used to have some annoying noisy neighbours who had all night parties(and i mean ALL night), we asked them nicely to consider us and our sleeping(or rather kept awake and grumpy) children; they didn`t,we tried playing them at there own game ,turning on our stereo at 6am , that didn`t have much effect. the house was rented out ,but the letting agency were not interested so i contacted the environmental health, who told me to log everything that happened and said he would write them a letter advising them that excess noise pollution could mean they would be evicted,once they got the letter they came round to me ,said sorry ,said they didn`t want to be evited from this house as well! and continued to be a be more considerate until they moved .(we even had a drink with them the new years eve before they left), so don`t give in or give up.

G_M

Planning permission. Not required even in conservation area. PP does not apply to change of use of rooms.

Overcrowding. Not you business. The associated noise is your business.

Envrionmental Health at the council deal wih noise complaints. They'll need you to keep a log detailing every occassion excessive noise occurs, recordiing time, type of noise etc, for several weeks/months. They may supply you with a machine to measure the decabels at different times of day.

You live in a flat yes? Do you own or are you a tenant? If you own, you should have the lease. Read it. This may have clauses limiting the disturbance leaseholders can cause neighbours.

Does the block of flats have a management company? If so, they can enforce the lease above.

Contact the landlady. Look up the name/address of the flat owner on the Land Registry site here (£4) - it may, of course, just give the address of the flat!

Final resort - call the police at 4.00 AM and report noise and what sounds like fighting/shouting downstair. A visit from plod may make them think before slamming doors.....