Noisy neighbours dont know what to do

pug_in_a_bed

Hello, I don't know where to turn.

I live in a house split into two flats. My neighbours upstairs are crackers. More or less every weekend I suffer from their loud music, dreadful loud bassy dance music.

Its been going on intermittently for around a year. It came to a head 2 weeks ago, arrived home from holiday in a cab at midnight to music blaring out into the street. Spent 30 mins banging on the door and throwing stones at the window, so when they finally opened it, bladdered, I lost my temper.

Found out while I was away it was going on through the day etc, really bad - my dad was in and out for my pets so heard it. A few neighbours called their landlord and received pretty much the same response I got.

It carried on off and on through the night, called the police for the first time ever 9.30am. Police said they had no powers but could knock. I was out when they came,returned home to find all they did was shut the windows so the rest of the street couldn't hear.

Following weekend, same again, police too busy (weekend, fair enough). Contacted their landlord who said there was nothing he could do and told me where to go.

Last weekend on Sunday no music but drunken singing till 2.30am which kept me awake. I was sick as a dog last weekend so didn't knock. I'm a bit reluctant to knock at night as I feel a bit more vulnerable, although I'm not afraid of them.

I'm keeping a log for env.health but they said there is little they can do as its not constant and is often at night when no one can come and listen.

I have put up with it for a long time, as there would be periods of weeks without a peep. When I first moved in invited them down as it was my birthday and had 4 mates over. They came down absolutely spannered and one of them swung off my light fitting! We made our bedtime excuses pretty sharpish and put it down to weekend enthusiasm. Didn't try that again in a hurry again!

Started this again this evening at 6.30pm, I knocked, asked them to turn it down a bit and that would be fine. They haven't.

I know I am oversensitive to it now and I'm on edge waiting for the noise to begin every night. It can be really random, one week people arrived home from work with them at 5.30am for a knees up.
Often it will begin early sat afternoon and go on till all hours. Its definately got worse in the last 8-9 weeks.

Another week,they did very vigorous hoovering at 5am!

I invited him in last week to hear how loud it was, he agreed but was bladdered as it was his birthday.

So far,besides this I wrote a letter explaining how I was glad they were my neighbours etc. but they needed to have more respect re: noise and keep it down to a reasonable hour at a reasonable level.

I even got a friend to write one in polish (they're from poland).

I think they think that, because I didn't complain previously unless it was 150% awful, that I am now being unreasonable, when previously I let it go.

I measure it at the moment when I can' hear the tv, I've tried recording it on the mobile but it won't pick it up.

I also think because I am a lady they ignore me; my bil lived here previous and they always shut up when he asked, it was also infrequent.

They work very hard which I appreciate it, but play hard as well. They were generally very friendly and apologetic but forget very quickly.

I was a housing officer and dealt with noise all the time, but as a housing assoc. we would automatically investigate, issue a notice etc and evict if necessary but private landlords aren't all as helpful.

Every time I knock now I am recording it on my phone and taking five minutes so I don't lose my temper.

They know I have been to env.health because the bloody letter had the subject line 'complaint noise nuisance' visible through the address window!

I got my bil to come round before to see if he thought the current noise was unreasonable and if I was being oversensitive. Sods law they turned it down whilst he was here!

OH works away and comes down twice a month to stay so most of the time am on my own.

Sorry for the vent, I feel low tonight as I can see another sleepless weekend ahead.

Taadaa

Does your local authority have a noise complaint unit? Sometimes at the weekend they will send someone to measure the noise and issue them with an on the spot abatement notice if they are in breach.

pug_in_a_bed

no, tried that - the council has an out of hours line who just passed the message on to the env.health during working hours.

Penny-Pincher!!

Contact environmental health and start keeping a diary.

faith2009uk

Sorry to hear about your problem with your neighbour Pug, tonight after 3 months of constant banging (not just moving around but sounds as if someone is chucking a heavy object constantly at the floor/ our ceiling), I felt like breaking down so can see where your coming from.

Ours do it every single day, throughout the day and night and don't seem to have any thought for anyone else. I hope you get it sorted

browneyedbazzi

Definitely get in touch with environmental health at your local council and talk to them about what their procedures are for noise complaints of this nature. Most authorities do offer an out of hours service but that's usually one person on a duty rota and they can't get out to every complaint....some have gone due to cut backs.

Even if they don't offer out of hours services they should be able to help. They might ask you to keep a noise diary (what you hear, when, how loud it was etc) which they can then use to take legal action.

Does your local authority licence private landlords? If the landlord is licensed it may be worth talking to the people who deal with the licensing as they may be able to push the landlord to sort the problem out.

MrsBryan_2

I'd say keep on at the landlord. He should definitely speak to them about the noise but if he's not interested, keep on at him, phone him every day if you have to. He'll soon get peed off and speak to them, if anything just to get you to stop calling! The diary will help too as when you are so tired your head turns to mush and you forget things!

We had problems with noisy neighbours a few years back when we lived in a flat. Random parties most week nights until 4am/5am. Wrote a diary of every date, time and what the noise was. Sent it to their landlord and the company who owned the building. Called the police a few times who were quite good actually and gave them a telling off, which did make them stop for a few weeks at a time. OH lost it one night and got in a fight with one of them, think this was just the last straw as lack of sleep is a killer and although it was stupid, he felt better giving the bloke a slap! Not long after, the landlord kicked them out. But we phoned and kept on at them A LOT. Keep trying, I know what you're going through and its awful.

Melissa22_Mum

Your not being oversensitive!

I think you've been more than reasonable in every way possible. The local council surely don't just work for council tenants. You pay your council tax, they are there for everyone.

I would get them round with a sound level meter to measure the decibels. Even if it doesn't go off scale I'm sure that in a tenancy agreement you are obligated to act in a tenant like manner. That includes no hard partying after certain times. Ours even states the times when you have to reduce or cease playing music after 10.30. If you've already had contact with the LL and they've told you to get lost complain to the council again, tell them everything. It's your right to have quiet enjoyment in your property. That's also the duty of your landlord. He/she may know some more avenues to go down regarding this problem.

I hope you get it sorted, I perrsonally think it's mental torture, I know I'd be on tenterhooks all the time waiting for the noise to come!

Tina20

As an upstairs tenant, I would say that it's REALLY hard to stay quiet for downstairs. So I'll play devils advocate;

Sometimes noise just travels, and you can't expect people to hoover at a time that suits you. It's their home after all. We are lucky to have a very deaf old man downstairs, but it's totally impossible to stop noise travelling. We even hear him coughing when we are in our bedroom, and his doors closing etc so god knows what he can hear!

BUT I hate loud music and parties too, so that's definately out of order. On a saturday night once or twice a month when they stop at midnight? Maybe you could give them some slack. But anything more than that it should definitely be reported to the police.

I've called the police for loud music before (so loud my windows were vibrating, and the party was across the road) and they do have powers, as it's a public breach of the peace. I'd say push them more, they are probably busy but you are not being unreasonable.

coinxoperated

I have similar problems with my upstairs neighbour who would seem to be a little bit of a tramp! She plays extremely loud music, and if its not music, its hardcore !!!!!! sounds. A bit off putting if your trying to have a 'romantic' moment with your own partner.

I tried everything. I even went to the extremes of knocking on her door while she was at 'it' and shouted through her letter box saying if he could hurry up as I had to be up early ! He actually did hurry up....

It carried on for a while after, so I decided to play them at there own game. They need to sleep at some point. So when I knew they would be sleeping, I would pop up the bass on my stereo, hoover my ceiling and actually brought 'squealing' !!!!!!.

Needless to say, they have quietened down alot. If you have tried everything, battle it out. Something will give eventually!

spicyprawn

You need to become an annoyance yourself and ring the council everyday