Can I escape from flat rent contract because of neighbours?

MyMissC3

Hi, the very day I told my landlord I was going to renew my flat's contract for anotther six months, a couple moved in in the upper floor's flat with a newborn.

I understand how tiring it must be for them and it appears there is nothing I can do i help with the situation.

The newborn obviously wakes up at night, eventually each night it takes them up to ten minutes or more to get up and go to the baby. By that time the baby is crying like hell. I don't know why they are not keeping the baby in their bedroom and I know of people who simply use an alarm clock so they don't get the baby to that point. I can litterally hear the baby from the moment he or she wakes up with some little noises to the full routine of desperate increasing cry.

I'm a very light sleeper and need absolute silence to get some decent sleep (whuch I generally had for the previous 12 months despite living in a flat), I also need to have a fresh mind to do my job and two weeks down the line now I can't think I may have to go on months like this. I can't sleep with ear plugs (and I here the noise anyway) and I can't see any other option but to move away. The flats are tiny and there is no other room I could sleep in peace.

I'm getting more tired every day.



Any suggestions?

I really can't go on waking up each night up to three times.



Thank you for any help!

anselld

Did you actually sign a new six month fixed term? If so then you are stuck till the end of that unless you can negotiate with the landlord for early release. However the LL is not obliged to grant this; it is entirely by negotiation and you would probably have to cover some costs.

beecher2

I too need total silence to sleep and live in a flat - only solution that works for me is earplugs. You do get used to sleeping with them, so I'd give them another try.

moneyistooshorttomention

Is your flat the only one in the place that the landlord owns, or does he own others (eg the upstairs flat)?

If he owns the upstairs flat too and at least one other flat, there might be grounds to say "You caused the problem (ie by letting a flat out to people with a newborn)...so the onus is on you to solve it". "Solving it" could equal moving you to another flat.

If he doesn't own that flat (or any others) then its not his fault this has happened, but I'm entertaining a vague hope on your behalf that he owns this property and/or has other properties...and therefore he might have a way open to deal with it...

I sympathise, as I also have to have silence to sleep and earplugs don't help very much at all.

SerialRenter

If i'm reading this correctly, you said you'd like to renew, but you've not actually signed anything?

In which case you're quite welcome to change your mind and tell the landlord you'd like to leave at the end of your fixed term.

DRP

The good news is that the baby will probably grow out of this in a few months

The bad news is that if you signed a contract,you are bound by it ,unless you have a very understanding LL.

Gordon_Hose

If you need complete silence to sleep, stop living in flats.

Sorry, but you need to allow for some noise living in flats. We used to be able to hear upstairs baby screaming, their 6am "session", slamming doors, screaming at each other etc. We also had police raiding another flat for drugs every other week, which usually involved an early morning wake up. Thankfully we've moved out, albeit into parents until our house is ready, and into an end terrace. Next door is a polite old boy.

If you prefer total peace an quiet then living in flats is not for you. If you've signed up for 6 months then either you need to stick to it or have a very sympathetic LL.

Dan-Dan

DRP wrote: »

The good news is that the baby will probably grow out of this in a few months

And then it will be the `tiny patter of feet up and down , up and down , up and down.........

SerialRenter

Gordon_Hose wrote: »

If you need complete silence to sleep, stop living in flats.

I do believe that's what the OP is trying to do.
Alas, this world is not perfect and upping and leaving is not so practice due to contracts and commitments.

But yes, maybe for the next place you live, shop by the energy certificate. The more insulation, the better its noise absorbing ability will be due to the additional material between you and them.

That or invest in some good ear plugs

MyMissC3

Thank you everybody for your replies. I have unfortunately signed the new contract beacuse I had reached the notice date, I was away for a while e didn't have enough time to look for another accommodation

I know flats can be noisy. I was in a rush when I got the current one last year. It's however a quite and nice area, there are only four flats in this building and all tenants had been reasonably quite and discrete until this newborn arrived; but as indicated above I wanted to leave anyway, just lack of time...

Well I'll try to find a solution anyhow... which won't be earplugs since my ears are not suitable and I can hear the noise anyway... =_=

Lesson for the future!!!

Thank you again for your replies!!!!!!!

hazyjo

Is there another room you can sleep in for a while?

Do you know what flooring they have? Might be worth looking into soundproofing it better. Whether they'll be willing to help or not, I'm not sure.

Have they bought it or are they renting (if you know)?

Jx