Neighbour Plays Drums!

pdarc

Hi:
I just moved house, fairly standard 3 bed semi in London, but I can call it home :-) However the day we moved in we noticed that the neighbour next door has a drum kit in his house and likes to practice in the early evenings.

It is the detached neighbor (rather than my attached neighbour thankfully) but it is still very loud. His house is fully detached and at the start of the street so we are the closest to him so I am not sure if anyone else is inconvenienced by the sound.

We have only been in the house for 4 days, he seems to play everyday but only for 10-15 mins, which isn't too bad, and so far always before 7pm, so it could be worse.

I am keen to see what happens over the weekend but I am concerned as I have a 1 year old and a new baby on the way soon and they need their naps during the day and the one year old goes to bed early. I'm also concerned about the summer, if windows are opened, it will be so much louder and really disturbing.

During the inquiries raised by the solicitors a question had been put to the sellers as part of the long list of qustions asking if there is any issue with noisy neighbours and the answer was no.

Not sure what to do. He plays really well, like a pro (for 15 mins at a time!) so I don't want to stop someone from playing, but at the same time I am thinking I need to have a conversation and see if we can work around each other.

If he doesn't play ball, or he plays all day on weekends (which I am about to find out) do I have any rights?

Thank you

I_have_spoken

Oh dear

I had the same, kit in the conservatory across the street from me. Fortunately the lad got bored with it.

That said, 15 mins before 7pm is pretty unlikely to be considered as a noise nuisance by the Council. Is he just 'warming up' before going out to play in a pub band perhaps?

I have a 1 year old and a new baby

I bet next summer the neighbours will all be thinking !!!!!! will them kiddies never stop crying! Maybe some give and take needed...;)

powerful_Rogue

How unreasonable are you!

You've only lived there for 4 days and already want to start dictating what your neighbours can do!

As long as he dosent play at an unreasonable hour, no I don't think you would have any rights.

warehouse

You're lucky OP. When we moved here we found that our next door neighbour, (connected), had a drum kit and played for an hour every evening. We found out that he used to play for hours and hours with all windows open, until he got stopped by the council and restricted to an hour per day with windows closed.

Strangely none of this was disclosed by the seller.

I spoke to him and said that an hour was OK, but after 7.30pm was not acceptable, so every night he started at 6.25 and finished at 7.35, and every minute of it wound me up. Then some weekends he'd go for 2 hours until I snapped and confronted him about it, so it dropped back to just under an hour again and started creeping longer. Repeat.

OP I think 15 minutes is fine, and from our experience most councils will probably say an hour per day is OK. If it goes past that or after 8pm then have a word.

comeandgo

Yes, we have drums to one side and pipes on the other side and a pipe band a few houses away - its all lovely. I have absolutely no complaints. I would think your children will make a bit of a noise too, its a case of live and let live I think. I'm sure your children will get used to it.

jamie11

You could offer to buy your neighbour one of those electronic drum kits with earphones if it disturbs you that much.

skivenov

I had this at a previous house. Luckily, I play bass, so it was great to have someone local to have a jam with.

Rest of the street probably didn't agree.

BristolBob

pdarc wrote: »

Hi:

If he doesn't play ball, or he plays all day on weekends (which I am about to find out) do I have any rights?

Thank you

15 minutes is hardly any time. If you child is woken up by it, they will soon go back to sleep. If he "doesn't play ball" indeed! Leave the poor man alone to the (very brief) enjoyment of his hobby.

19lottie82

You can get dampner pad things for drum kits, maybe buy him a pair and ask if he could use them, out with agreed hours where he can go nuts minus the pads?

BornAtTheRightTime

Is this a wind-up? It seems to me the drum player is being more considerate than anyone has a right to expect by limiting himself to 15 minutes and before 7pm.

SailorSam

Nothing worse than falling out with your neighbours.
We had someone new move in next door and it must have been about 3am one night that there was a banging on my front door. I was shocked 'cos who the hell goes knocking on someones door at that hour, but i never got annoyed at him. If i'd been asleep maybe i would have give him a piece of my mind but i was already up ............. practising on my drums.