Neighbours over the road - Antisocial/illegal behavior - or just me being intolerant?

AliceBanned

Can you find out in confidence who the landlord is and speak to him/her? A quiet word might help - particularly about the excessive numbers (it seems) and hangers on. Otherwise you are protecting all their parents from the noise during every school holiday and you are suffering instead.




My young neighbours (early 20s) moved in and started inviting all their friends for heavy drinking sessions. I got the feeling they had just left home and that all their friends came round because they couldn't make the insane amount of noise they did partying etc as at home as they still probably lived with parents. I thought 'why should I put up with it though?' and spoke to the letting agent, who put an immediate stop to it. I think landlords are the best way to go as technically they are liable and would be the ones penalised, with a maximum punishment of prison, if they don't sort out tenants who are breaking the law in terms of environmental health. it may be that the noise from your neighbours would not be classed as such, but daytime noise can be considered if it is constant.

teddysmum

ThursdaysChild wrote: »

I'm afraid to talk to the kids directly in case their parents kick off, as happened previously (with different kids and parents) i.e. "How dare you talk to my child! If you have a problem talk to me directly".

Incredibly, a friend, who is a trained lifeguard (but not on duty), saved a child who was struggling in a swimming pool and the parent who hadn't been watching over his child , ranted and threatened her for touching his child.

AliceBanned

PS just to clarify - the letting agents in my case obviously wouldn't go to prison (neither in yours) but the ultimate threat of this, or of any fine/court case etc, and potential hassle of a complaint or neighbour issues is usually something that professional letting agents/landlords will want to prevent, just to avoid the potential hassle and damage to their reputation. I found that they respected the neighbourhood just as much as the tenant in their property, as they understand the type of issues and after all a decent letting agent is part of the community and should also act with consideration of it. Just a thought.

hohum

I do sympathise - I lived next door to a family where I knew all of their names before being introduced... and even the kid down the street.

We bought and are opposite some social housing with lots of young families. They're generally good kids, I just have to regularly remind them that using our garden wall as goalposts, with our windows a couple of metres behind, is not ok. Or that our drive is not where they ride bikes. But they're not bad and I just put up with it as part of living in a community, I like that they all play out, and the siblings look out for each other. Your situation sounds more difficult and I don't think you're being unreasonable: but equally there's not a lot you can do about it really. Ear plugs?

Cakeguts

Does the landlord know that these kids are climbing over his fences? Are they banging on the front door as well? Banging on the windows? Potential damage to his property?

If they haven't lived there long they have probably got used to moving often. I wonder why?

freeman3030

I can sympathise with you. I too live in an end of terrace house in a cul-de-sac (I'm right at the end with parking/turning area next to me).
I go through stages of being really annoyed at the kids and being incredibly tolerable. My neighbours have got a couple of kids and there are several other kids in the street, age ranging from about 5-12. Having just had a bank holiday weekend I've been outside doing a bit of work in my garden and all I've heard is footballs, shouting to one and other to pass the ball, screaming with excitement... then the inevitable tears because ones fallen over. At the end of the day, they're kids and they're going to make noise. When I was younger I played outside on my bike and although I'm sure I wasn't as loud as the kids living near me, it's nice to hear them having fun. Then there comes a time where your having lunch and enjoying the peace outside and then you get the onslaught of shouting/squeeling.
Sometimes a ball comes over into my garden, they'll knock on my door and ask for their ball back. All the time the kids are polite I think it's acceptable to tolerate a bit of noise.
The banging on the bin would probably annoy me though. Unfortunately I don't think there's anything you can really do. Not knowing your area or plot your house sits on, have you thought about planting a tall hedge out the front to block some of the noise. Being a terraced house though, I can imagine there's not an awful lot of front garden to do this as the driveway probably takes up the majority if not all of the front garden (assuming you have a driveway).
With regards to the football hitting your car, I'm not sure I could be as tolerable. I would go spare if it frequently hit my car. I could get over it if it was once, not not if it was once a day. If that happens again, maybe suggest to the kids to play football in one of the back gardens to avoid hitting your car.
It can get you down though. One night all I could hear were the kids next door running up and down the stairs (fortunately that's all we can hear from our next door neighbours). At the time I was annoyed because all I wanted to do was sleep, but then I thought... this is the trouble when living in close proximity to others. I sometimes feel like a miserable old man (at 26) but then I remind myself that they're just having a bit of fun. Every year that passes, they'll get another year older. I'd rather hear kids playing outside than kids causing destruction to the neighbourhood.
Kids are back to school this week (I think) so hopefully it will become more tranquil.