Noisy neighbour upstairs, help

Nicki

Christal wrote: »

but I can't hear no one by my upstairs, if it's onlly the building problem then assume everyone could hear everyone. The girl who used to live in the other flat upstairs has spoken to me about the noise too, so this is not just me who is effected. And as I have just posted above, my neighbour downstairs never had any problem means my everyday life has not been making noise to him.

But you said that when you had a young child visiting you in your flat that your downstairs neighbour was up within 10 minutes to complain about the noise. Presumably at the time though, you didn't think the visiting child was behaving completely outrageously or being out of control, otherwise you'd have done something before the neighbour had to complain.

You also said that when you banged on your neighbours ceiling that your downstairs neighbour was up again complaining that they could hear this from down below. So on at least two occasions things which you have done (which should not carry from flat to flat) have been enough to disturb your neighbour downstairs.

I'm not saying the noise in your flat isn't bad. I'll take your word for it that it is. What I am saying is that the activities which you are complaining about are normal day to day activities. They aren't anti-social or preventable, and everyone should be entitled to do them freely in their own home. You don't seem to have taken on board at all how the restrictions you would like to place on your neighbours and their small child would affect you, if they were also imposed on you in your own flat! If the noise carries then that's an environmental and design problem and not a case of your neighbours being inconsiderate.

You are right - I haven't lived in your flat. I have however lived in a top floor flat some time ago (before we had children). I never had any complaints from the neighbours, but if someone had come up and complained that I was walking across my own floor and this was disturbing them, it would have made life intolerable for me and I wouldn't have felt comfortable in my own home.

Rather than having a go at me for daring to see things from your neighbour's point of view, why not adopt the more practical approach of seeing if you can soundproof the building better? As I say, as your neighbours aren't actually doing anything wrong or anti-social, this is no different from any other kind of environmental noise such as traffic, and you should be taking personalities out and just dealing with the physical problem.

Bargain_Rzl

I absolutely agree, Nicki.

Christal, I sympathise with your situation but your neighbours must be as annoyed with you as you are with them, especially if you're at the point of complaining to the HA and getting solicitors' letters sent to them. They must be feeling as though you are victimising them (though I know you're only trying to get a bit of peace and quiet!)

A problem neighbour is one who unreasonably disturbs, with loud music, constant use of power tools, domestic arguments etc. What you have is not a problem neighbour but a problem home.

They are not doing anything wrong - they're just living normal (and usually quiet) lives. If they're HA tenants, your complaints may be putting black marks against their tenancy record, which isn't fair on them! You just happen to be living in a poorly insulated building - and your only recourse is to solve the insulation problem, not take it out on your neighbours.

telfordwhite

Christal, while I sympathise with you I think you have unrealistic expectations living in a flat and expecting very little noise.

If a toddler (presumably a light being) is causing a noise walking then it has to be down to the insulation of the building.

But fret not, A couple and a toddler living in a flat with no garden aint gonna stay there too long. I'm sure they'll be selling up before long.

Bargain_Rzl

telfordwhite wrote: »

Christal, while I sympathise with you I think you have unrealistic expectations living in a flat and expecting very little noise.

True, though some flats are better than others. I live in a block with decent insulation and usually the only noise I hear from my neighbours is when somebody is drilling or hammering. If I go into the communal hallway and hear that my next door neighbour is playing loud music, I can't hear it at all once I'm back in my flat with the door shut. I recently had an issue with the stereo in his bedroom coming on on a timer while he was on holiday (loudly, and the other side of my bedroom wall) but this was not the norm and he was very apologetic about it.

But fret not, A couple and a toddler living in a flat with no garden aint gonna stay there too long. I'm sure they'll be selling up before long.

The point is, in a building as poorly insulated as the OP's sounds, if the neighbours DID move out the OP would probably have the exact same problem with the next resident. And it still would not be the resident's fault.

Somerset

I think the problem is always 'who's' above you in this type of flat.

As I said earlier, my aunt has this problem - her upstairs neighbours are four young men who work shifts.

When I visit my mum ( lives in similar block on same estate ) you can't not hear the two young children in the flat above, shouting and running about. My mum moans about it, but I say 'what can you do', kids play and run and sometimes shout. Before that family there was a couple who were at work all day so there wasn't an issue with them.

It's unreasonable it expect kids to be like mice, and people not to walk. It's the design/insulation of the flats that are at fault. And it's 'pot luck' whether you get a young in-all-day family or a quiet out-all-day worker. It's a bit of a lottery who you get, and consequently whether there's a problem or not.

Christal_2

I appreciate all of your thoughts and understand you are probably seeing it from a more objective point view than I am. I understand you can not expect a kid to be quiet all the time and I do not expect that to happen as it's simply impossible, but what's also part of the problem is the heavy footed adult and loud TV/Music noise from as early as 6AM to as late as 1AM, which seems have been forgotten by some of the people who is saying I'm having an unrealistic expectaion.

Nicki, if you can see that my downstairs neighbour came up to talk to me about the visiting kid, then you can also see that he does not have a problem with the normal day to day living noise(if me and my hubby are making any), but as I pointed out above that's part of noise from upstairs too.
Of couse I do not expect anyone stay still at home, I just hope they can be a bit considerable after I speak to them and walk a little bit lighter, and I have tried speaking to them politely several times but nothing has happened, as far as I can see, that means they are not bothered. Also the noise got worse after they received letter from HA.........which can only mean that not only they are bothered but also they proved they can make my life misery.....

I agree it is "pot luck" at the end of day to what kind of neighbour you get, but the issue can always be solved or at least improved if your neighbour is reasonable person.

granville_2

Christal wrote: »

Thanks for all the reply guys. Granville, is that true? The letter from solicitor is offered by the HA means it's their solicitor not mine, does it still qualify as a dispute? If that's the case, then when I consider the dispute being closed?

[snip]

i believe it would. but i am not a lawyer (IANAL). best to check with the HA/ solicitor.

lynzpower

I have to agree with Nicki here again

You are asking people to walk a bit lighter. Can you explain to me how I would actually do this, are you suggesting people tiptoe around thier home s you are not inconvenienced?

I personally often have music on at 6.00 and the tv on at 1.00 these are the hours we keep, are you seriously asking your neighbours to change thier sleeping routines to accomodate you?

I remmeber my freind had neighbours, and they compained about her OHs coughing in the night. He has some sort of lung problem and has had it for many years. My mate said "well if you want to pay for him to go private to sort it out then fine, but otherwise theres nothing can be done!"

My feeling ( and Ive lived in new built flats myself) I wouldnt live in a flat if i was sensitive to noise. every flat dweller at some point has to put up with it.

Nicki

Christal, I somehow feel I am not going to bring you round to my way of thinking!

All I will say however is you are expecting a young couple with a young child to live their lives in the same way that you and your husband do. You have no right to expect this. It may not even be possible! Am I right in thinking that you do not have young children living with you? In any case provided they aren't doing anything illegal or really anti-social they are entitled to live their lives in their own home as they choose, and I still don't consider walking around in your own flat and watching TV in the evenings to be unreasonable.

I do however consider it unreasonable to hammer on your ceiling at 10.00pm at night when this couple has a young child, just because you were fed up with their noise coming through. So what if they dropped something on their floor. No doubt it was an accident, and even if it wasn't I doubt if they appreciated the noise would carry. You however did appreciate that the noise of your hammering on the ceiling would carry (and would almost certainly wake up their young child). If their sounds were so bad, the civilised, polite and considerate thing to do would have been to walk upstairs and knock quietly on their door and let them know they were disturbing you. I'm sorry but I agree with all the other posters who have talked about give and take, and if you aren't prepared to do this, I would suggest that you look for a better insulated home or a house rather than a flat.

MABLE

My first flat was a Victorian conversion and I lived on the ground floor. The flat was really nice and full of Vickies features etc. However there was a girl living upstairs and had a very active love life and late parties. The insulation was terrible and in the end I sold the flat. However I was straight with the buyer and explained the problems but she said it was not a problem because she was noisey herself.