Neighbours from hell

hotchoccolatte

It's been nearly a year since the neighbours from hell moved in next door. I live in a semi detached property where my house is owned but the one next door is owned by the council. My partner and I have to put up with 24/7 doors slamming so hard they vibrate through our house and we can feel it under out feet. The door slamming always seems to get worse between 11pm and 2am.

They have a little terrier dog that just barks and barks.

My house used to be a council house too until it was sold by the council, so the adjoining walls are VERY thin. So thin that I think a piece of paper would do a better job! All I ever hear is their TV and the woman's voice that just shouts all the time (she can't talk at a normal level). Her and her husband are frequently arguing. The joists from each house go in to each house so probably where most of the sound is travelling from.

We've had multiple problems with them in the past where they've trespassed on to our land and tried to cut our trees down BUT the main thing that stresses us out is because they have wooden flooring all over their house and because the walls are so thin, it always sounds like a herd of elephants crashing in to our house.

We have started to keep a diary so we can report them to the housing association and council but are not holding much hope as we know others who have had similar problems and the council like to turn a blind eye! Our stress levels are through the roof! My partner has to get up for work at 4am most mornings and he's getting next to no sleep all night. I work from home which is impossible with their noises! They are a middle aged couple, both on benefits I guess as neither of them work, they are at home almost 24/7 and also breed dogs to make extra money.

Is there anyone who's been in a similar situation? Especially where your neighbour is in a council house with thin walls and they have wooden flooring?

moneyistooshorttomention

I wouldn't mind betting that there are various regulations appertaining to dog-breeding and they aren't "playing by the rules". Could that be a start-off point to use? (ie reporting them for that anonymously).

Add - if they are on benefits - I bet they aren't reporting the income from that dogbreeding.

TBeckett100

Never buy next to council. You have to work to live in the same house as next door get given.

Pixie5740

Just because someone lives in a council house, it doesn't automatically follow that they don't pay their own rent. My brother's family lived in a council property, both he and his partner worked full time and were not in receipt of any housing benefit.

olgadapolga

This sounds so familiar, neighbours can be so awful.

We lived next to the neighbors from hell on three sides - one had a motorbike that he used to run at all hours of the day, one had nasty yappy dogs and were really loud and generally unpleasant, and the attached side (again, ex-council houses, really thin walls) were a complete nightmare. No consideration for others, late night drinking sessions, loud singing/howling, constant barbeques (from breakfast through to late at night, even in winter), loud tv, rows, shouting, kids screaming, smelly pet chickens as they were never cleaned out, bonfires, always sawing wood, it was dreadful. We even knew when they took a bath. The husband took a dislike to my husband (no idea why) and when drunk used to threaten DH. We complained to just about everyone we could think of but these things always seem to take so long as you need to gather evidence. In the end we moved as the people who were on the attached side owned their home so it was the only means of escape. Best thing we ever did and it was really satisfying knowing that we'd sold our house to someone just like him.

I really empathise with your situation and hope that you are able to get something sorted. You will hopefully have a better chance than we did being as your neighbours are tenants. The dog breeding sounds like it might be a place to start - where we were before. tenants were only allowed two pets; the council may take exception to dog breeding.

princeofpounds

My house used to be a council house too until it was sold by the council, so the adjoining walls are VERY thin.

Council houses are often built to better specifications than basic private houses, strangely enough.

DTDfanBoy

Perhaps you should consider soundproofing your walls, by the sounds of it a proactive approach may have the best outcome.

Davesnave

DTDfanBoy wrote: »

Perhaps you should consider soundproofing your walls, by the sounds of it a proactive approach may have the best outcome.

And another pro-active approach is to move.

Just sitting there, attempting to apply laws that have blunt teeth may drain you even more than the experience of living next door to people like that, who are probably incapable and unwilling to change anything that they do.

Only take them on if you are strong enough, and at least plan for the worst case scenario, that nothing really changes.

King_Slayer

You can always sell? But be prepared to declare all this to buyers (I can't see anyone will willingly buy next to a problem neighbor), however you are obligated to declare it. You never know, you might get a noisy buyer and they can both live happily ever after.

Brock_and_Roll

Might be better to sell up and move BEFORE starting any formal complaints process as that would have to be disclosed on the vendor enquiries form.

TrickyDicky101

Used to live next door to scum in a semi. Toothless councils next to no use and results in escalation of neighbour dispute rather than pacification. Be prepared to move - we did eventually.

I will never live in a non-detached property again.