Noisy Father of Family Below

professor~yaffle

Chlorine7 wrote: »

I don't see why I should have to put up with it at 3am just because it's a block of flats. We endure noisy families all day and evening without complaint but the middle of the screaming and shouting isn't acceptable. If you did nothing about it then that's your prerogative. I would like to do something... I have now contacted the property managers - though they are bloody stupid and have contacted the wrong landlords.

I'm not saying it's right.. just that in my experience it happens a lot in flats.

If it gets too aggro, you could always phone the Police and say you think someone's being attacked in the flat downstairs. They may come out, they may not. If you're in the capital, I doubt they'll bother, - too many other things going on.

Pop_Up_Pirate

Chlorine7 wrote: »

I live in a block of flats, where you can hear into the flats adjacent and below. Recently a family of four young children and two parents moved in to the two bedroom below us. I can often hear the children crying, screaming and running around. That's normal just louder than the previous families who lived there and during the day, while it can be very irritating is perfectly reasonable.

The real problem is the father. He is clearly the dominant person of the house and when he loses his patience with the children we can hear every single thing and it feels like he is everywhere. Inside his flat, inside our flat and outside on the landing all at the same time.

This doesn't just happen during the day. At least twice since they have moved in we have been woken up around 3am-4am due to his screaming and shouting. One morning he was shouting from about 7.30am to 9am. Now we don't know if he's just an incredibly loud man or a bad tempered one or both as we don't speak the language that he is screaming in. My housemate and I can not live like this but we are not sure what the best solution is.

We are both fairly young women and this man gives the impression that doesn't respect women. I bumped into the wife once and considered talking to her about it but she has to suffer with her husband's behavior daily and seems docile and I don't want to make her life more difficult.

I am friends with neighbours that are on the board of the building and have considered speaking with them but I'm not sure that they can do anything. My friends have suggested I call the police once the screaming starts in the middle of the night but unless he's actually being abusive to his family, I'm not sure it's worth it. Another suggested leaving a note on the door asking them not to scream between the hours of 12am - 7am.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how they might deal with the situation?

As the road is a long one in doing anything about noisy neighbours, then the simplest solution would be to move.
There is very little that can be done about someone shouting.

PasturesNew

There was somebody on yesterday's telly (bbc morning programmes?) - some chap goes round with officials watching what they do day to day. One was a noisy furren chap who shouted at his kid and they got involved to ask what was going on .... he said he was deaf and his wife/kid tell him he's shouting but he doesn't know.

Then he started crying.

Most bizarre.....

So, somebody can intervene... but I don't know who.

Loz01

I'd phone the police and say you think someone is being attacked or threatened if he was that loud and horrendous to the point where it sounds like he's lost control. He probably won't shut up or settle down til someone makes an intervention and Police always have a way of getting the point through to people.

Robisere

You are incorrect, Pirate:

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/noise-nuisance-and-neighbours

OP, contact your local Council. It could also be an Environmental issue.

The one thought I have regarding the 'foreigners' is that they could be EU citizens worried about staying here after Brexit. If they are not the cleverest and/or most socially aware of people, they may have tensions caused by anxiety about that.

elsien

Just go and talk to him, as a starting point.
Just because he yells in his own house doesn't mean he's dangerous and about to have a go. I yell at my dog sometimes when he's seriously p1ssing me off, doesn't mean I'm going to assault my neighbours.

Some languages sound harsher than others, some people are loud and don't realise it. I can see you don't want to go down at 3am, but there's nothing stopping you going down the next day and letting him know how much the sound carries. Just because he speaks another language in his own home doesn't mean he can't speak English.
Going straight to the police is ridiculous unless there is domestic violence happening, which you seem very unsure about. If he ignores you, then look at other routes, but at least have the conversation first.
And before anyone asks if I'd do that as a young woman, yes I did.

balletshoes

elsien wrote: »

Just go and talk to him, as a starting point.
Just because he yells in his own house doesn't mean he's dangerous and about to have a go. I yell at my dog sometimes when he's seriously p1ssing me off, doesn't mean I'm going to assault my neighbours.

Some languages sound harsher than others, some people are loud and don't realise it. I can see you don't want to go down at 3am, but there's nothing stopping you going down the next day and letting him know how much the sound carries. Just because he speaks another language in his own home doesn't mean he can't speak English.
Going straight to the police is ridiculous unless there is domestic violence happening, which you seem very unsure about. If he ignores you, then look at other routes, but at least have the conversation first.
And before anyone asks if I'd do that as a young woman, yes I did.

this is what I'd do too (and have done in the past with my next-door neighbours when they were being stupidly noisy for a stupidly long period of time).

Thinking about it, when my husband is home my neighbours could possibly think the same things you do about your neighbour downstairs OP - when he talks to his family in his first language it can be very late at night after work, and even though he's using a phone he's so loud he doesn't need to. He sounds like he's arguing too, when he isn't at all.

Pop_Up_Pirate

Robisere wrote: »

You are incorrect, Pirate:

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/noise-nuisance-and-neighbours

OP, contact your local Council. It could also be an Environmental issue.

The one thought I have regarding the 'foreigners' is that they could be EU citizens worried about staying here after Brexit. If they are not the cleverest and/or most socially aware of people, they may have tensions caused by anxiety about that.

There are procedures written down but have you ever tried going through the process?

It is a long, hard road and it is not easy to get anything to be done about noise and the fact that it is someone shouting rather than loud music makes it much harder.

It can take years to sort out.

elisamoose

Children under 5 and he is shouting all the time ? A referral to children's social care is an option. That would be my first call.

ripplyuk

I think you should ring the police next time the shouting happens during the night, or anytime if it's making you feel concerned about the rest of his family. I'd also contact environmental health.

If nothing improves quickly, it might be worth considering moving house.