Noisy, selfish neighbour in above flat. Please help.

Roki21

Hi,

I'm at my wits end at the moment so just hoping someone can offer a glimmer of hope or advise.

Basically, we have lived in our current property for a few years. The first year and a half or so was fine, the lady above was nice and we never had any issues with noise - she used to do workout DVDs so would hear skipping and jumping for half an hour or so a night but that wasn't a problem -you can allow for half an hour or so and it wasn't disruptive enough to be bothered about. Obviously you expect footsteps, doors closing etc. which is fine and we were okay with that.

She sadly sold the house just over a year ago to what I can only describe as the most disgusting, selfish idiot I have ever had the misfortune to meet in my life.

He has bongos, guitars, keyboards, every kind of instrument that you can imagine in his flat. Classes himself as a 'musician' (not sure why as he is awful) so is constantly playing guitar and singing (extremely loudly and badly up until 11pm at night). He smokes weed, the smell infiltrating our bedroom if we have the window open as he smokes it out of his bedroom window. He also has a "huge hi-fi system" with speakers placed all over his living room and has not had any soundproofing done so all of his noise carries through into our flat (his living room is above ours). We spoke to him on numerous occasions, being polite and asking him to turn the music down - this was every single night from 6pm until 11pm on the nose. He said that he couldn't turn his music any lower as he wouldn't be able to hear it or enjoy it even though it was so loud that you could hear it in the hallway downstairs. Yet when it hits 11pm, he can turn it down to a reasonable level and hears it perfectly fine!

I've had MPs involved, escalated throughout the Council, and no one is willing to help. Are we in the wrong here? I feel like I am the one who is out of order and no one is willing to help. I would love to move to get away from this reprobate but given the cost of renting somewhere new - it is £1k just to move out - my partner and I have no option but to be stuck here.

Has anyone had any success going down any other routes? Are there any other routes I can explore given the fact that we can't really afford to move yet? Surely if he has all these instruments and massive music systems, he needs to have the flat soundproofed? It isn't normal behaviour for someone living in a flat so surely he needs to adjust his flat to suit his lifestyle?

Please help if you can.

Mojisola

Roki21 wrote: »

I've spoken with my landlord who at first tried her best to help but she has now told us that we will need to leave if we don't like it.

As things have got so bad, this is the best solution for you.

Pixie5740

I can empathise. I've had 3 really noisy neighbours before, once in a home I owned (thankfully Gladgow City Council were great) and twice when I rented. One neighbour in particular played his music so loud that it caused ripples in my cup of tea. As soon as my fixed term ended I was out of there. It's one of the reasons that when I bought again I made sure I was on the top floor.

It's not right that you would essentially be forced out your home but he isn't going to change and it sounds as though the people who should be helping you aren't. Your landlord might think it's best you leave but if he's as bad as you say she'll end up with a string of tenants leaving as soon as the fixed term is up.

Since you're renting I'd take the path of least resistance and move because I know how stressful it is when you can't relax in your own home.

Red_Spider

Roki21 wrote: »

Hi,

Basically, we have lived in our current property for approx 3 years (rented). It is on the first floor of a three storey converted house.

She sadly sold the house just over a year ago to what I can only describe as the most disgusting, selfish idiot

So you rent your flat and the troublesome man above owns his flat?
Or is the whole house/block owned by someone else?

Roki21

It is just disgusting and actually baffles me that someone can be so ignorant of another person's quality of life. We haven't been unfair and asked him to stop playing music or his stupid out of tune guitars/singing, but just to quieten down so it's not so intrusive or if needs be go in the other room so we can have the living room in peace. I would be absolutely mortified if anyone felt that they had to knock of my door and ask me to quieten down, especially every single day - it's so rude. Sign of the times I suppose.

carefullycautious

Read this




http://www.lease-advice.org/information/faqs/faq.asp?item=202

csgohan4

Roki21 wrote: »

It is just disgusting and actually baffles me that someone can be so ignorant of another person's quality of life. We haven't been unfair and asked him to stop playing music or his stupid out of tune guitars/singing, but just to quieten down so it's not so intrusive or if needs be go in the other room so we can have the living room in peace. I would be absolutely mortified if anyone felt that they had to knock of my door and ask me to quieten down, especially every single day - it's so rude. Sign of the times I suppose.

Have they heard of something called headphones?

Roki21

csgohan4 wrote: »

Have they heard of something called headphones?

You won't believe me when I say this but he told us that we should listen to our TV using headphones if we don't like his noise! :T

Pixie5740

carefullycautious wrote: »

Read this




http://www.lease-advice.org/information/faqs/faq.asp?item=202

Wouldn't it need to be the leaseholder (the OP's landlord) who would need to try and get the freeholder to enforce any covenants relating to nuisance noise, and she seems disinterested?

boliston

I think the problem with conversions is that they were originally built as a single large family home where noise between floors is not such an issue as with separate dwellings - I think new regs were introduced around 2005 that addressed sound transmission between each unit - you should not be able to hear day to day noise such as hifi at normal levels from one unit to the next. At least you are renting so can move more easily than if you had to sell and buy another flat AND you do not have the risk of declaring all the noise problems to each prospective buyer by law (you would basically be stuck unable to sell unless you massively reduced the price). I'd stick with purpose built flats if renting a flat.

Pixie5740

You say it will cost £1k to move. Surely you have some savings. Every tenant needs something tucked away for a rainy day since it's not that difficult for a landlord to evict a tenant with an AST. Raising that £1k should be your focus even it means selling things on Gumtree or borrowing the money from somewhere.