Reporting Neighbours for Sub-Letting and Noise

kimbyanne

We live in a HA flat and have done for a while. Recently, we have been having issues with our neighbours. To start with, I don't think they are meant to be living there, they are a young couple and moved in after a family member moved out. The family member visits them quite often. The flat is still HA not privately owned which is why I think the family member moved out and let them move in without informing anyone.

They have always been a bit loud but it hasn't really caused us too much trouble but lately the noise is getting worse. They play music at all hours of the day, for example at 2am this morning they were playing music - not really loud but still noticeable. We work full time and they don't work at all so to them, it probably doesn't matter what time they get to sleep.

Lately they have been doing late night DIY - despite the fact they are home all day, they choose to start drilling into walls, banging and hammering after 6pm and until 10pm. They were drilling into walls at 9.30pm the other night. People around here have small children who are asleep at that time - they clearly don't take that into consideration.

I called the HA recently to enquire how often they do tenant's checks and I was told it was once a year (not true, we have never had a tenant check). When I explain I had concerns that they were living there illegally I was basically told to stop causing trouble. I was told do I realise by complaining I could get them evicted and why don't I just try and speak to them! So I said, right so you are saying even though I am pretty sure they shouldnt be living there, so long as they are quiet - you dont care? I also explained that I have witnessed other people trying to speak to them about the noise and are just told to f off. I have no desire to speak to these people, they know how much noise they are causing and they just don't care.

What do you suggest we do now? Do we try to speak to them and ask them to keep it down or do we complain again and take it higher? I am pretty sure I spoke to someone on the switchboard rather than someone with actual authority but if the stance they are taking is if they are quiet, who cares - then will taking it higher have any effect?

pinksk8

I would keep a log of each time they cause a disturbance, I am actually appalled that the HA didnt ask you to do this, you can also call the noise disturbance section at your local council, is their any other neighbours you could ask to call up the HA as well?

You could try speaking to them but it sounds like it wouldn't yield any great results...

Hope it gets better for you! x x

kimbyanne

pinksk8 wrote: »

I would keep a log of each time they cause a disturbance, I am actually appalled that the HA didnt ask you to do this, you can also call the noise disturbance section at your local council, is their any other neighbours you could ask to call up the HA as well?

You could try speaking to them but it sounds like it wouldn't yield any great results...

Hope it gets better for you! x x

Thanks, I think we will do this.

The woman I spoke to just didn't care and was more interesting in basically having a go at me for complaining and saying if I didn't want to cause trouble why was I trying to get them evicted, etc. It was like she was defending them by saying well how do they know they are causing too much noise if you haven't asked them to keep it down! Well firstly, drilling into brickwork at 9.30pm at night, that is fairly obviously causing too much noise and secondly the main concern is the fact I don't think they should be there! ARGH!

Honestly, we don't want to cause trouble and if it wasn't for the noise we probably would have turned a blind eye to the fact we don't think they should be living there. The noises just getting out of control and it isn't fair on us and those living nearby.

sassyblue

I'm assuming the HA are a larger company than the person answering the phone being the one you should talk to about this..... so on that assumption when you ring ask to speak to the person who deals with 'letting' the flats. Don't let her take any details from you as l'm hoping she'd think you wish to put your name down for a HA residence.

Once you get through they will know if it's their department or if there's a complaints dept to speak to.

Ignore what she says and thinks, what an unprofessional ! Everyone is subject to the same laws and there are laws for noise disturbance, surely it's in the T&C's of your contract not to make a nuisance of yourselves?

Good luck, and as long as they play up keep a diary and report it, and get others to do the same. Hopefully the HA will go and see them and find out if they have a right to be there at all.

BitterAndTwisted

I'd stop phoning the LA and start writing to them. Something to the effect that you have reason to believe that the legal tenant no longer lives there and that the people currently occupying the property are regularly causing a noise-nuisance and have been unresponsive and bordering on abusive when asked politely to turn their music down and stop carrying out what sounds like DIY until late in the evenings.

Encourage all of the other neighbours who have been affected to start writing their own letters as well.

Dealing with anti-social neighbours take time and trouble so that's presumably why the person you spoke to on the phone tried to fob you off. That's not so simple when they get the same information in writing, possibly from a number of sources, most especially if you all tell them that you believe their registered tenant no longer lives there.

Caroline_a

I think I''d want to be complaining about the woman at the HA!! Lots of good advice here, and there will be more people along to help, but why should you be made to feel guilty because you dared to want a bit of peace and quiet in your own home!

FatVonD

2 things (both at odds with each other!) occur to me:

Firstly, they will probably lie and say the original tenant is still living there so I would make it clear in any letters that at no time were all 3 occupants at the same time and that the current tenants moved in after she'd moved out.

Secondly, if they don't work the rental is presumably paid by housing benefit so they *may* be living there officially OR has the previous tenant moved in with a partner elsewhere and is still claiming housing benefit at that address (might explain the frequent visits?) in which case a tip off might be in order?

Yorkie1

Environmental Health at the council will be the relevant department re noise issues. Have a look online, but the usual advice - as mentioned above - is to keep a noise diary of every time you consider it to be unreasonable.

I'm not convinced that they will necessarily say that drilling at 930pm constitutes a noise nuisance in itself, but a range of frequent issues may well make them take more notice.

heretolearn_2

I'd be making a complaint about the receptionist at the h.a.

H.A's do NOT want their tenants subletting out and I'm sure they'll be quite disturbed to find their receptionist putting people off reporting it. I'm quite sure the housing officer for that area has families non stop contacting them needing a larger property and won't be happy to know one of 'their' homes is being tied up in this way instead of being released to someone on their waiting list. I worked at a HA for a couple of years and the housing officers were really frustrated at not being able to help people they knew needed it because there wasn't a property available. they took a very dim view of subletters and would throw the book at them if they found out.

Can you phone and ask to speak to the housing officer for that area? I think you'll get a better reception from them.

And I would also make a written complaint about the receptionist.

juliebunny

OP I really feel for you, having had a lot of awful neighbours (and flatmates) over the years. Back then I just used to move house when it got too bad. Now I've bought my own home. It was lovely on this estate until a few doors along a new family moved in.

They have loud rows in the garden, the smell of dope is very strong most evenings and now they seem to have moved their sound system into the garden every weekend....I have to close all my doors and windows even when it's really hot, and I can still hear the music over my telly. I'm not sure how to deal with it....if I want to sell my house I have to report any neighbour disputes. The husband is a real waster, very aggressive, there is no way I would want to go round there....there is a teenage son who urinates in their own back garden and has all his mates round every weekend. The mother doesn't seem to work and I've heard the husband shouting at her for spending their last money on a bottle of vodka.....

The council website says they won't act unless they have 3 complaints about a property. They also say they need access to your house to monitor any noise. So no chance of an 'off the record' complaint, and I'm the one who will suffer, becuase I'll have to declare annoying neighbours if I want to move.....I'm now saving up to try and move house but it's so unfair. We've been so happy here for ten years until this.

Doesn't sound like you have the same issues so I would get on a make the complaint, maybe ask the other neighbours to club together and make a joint one for support. Dont let some menial girl on the switchboard fob you off. If the HA won't give you any joy, go through to your conncil.