Unreasonable complaining from a neighbor

Norman_Castle

If it sounds like a pump or fan try turning your electricity off next time you hear it. Could it be a central heating or water pump operating when it shouldn't?

my_neighbour

cjdavies - thanks. I want to tell the landlord not about the noise but the neighbour complaining as I am concerned, but am bit scared as it can be misinterpreted and may backfire...? Besides, it should be the neighbour to discuss with the landlord not me, I feel.

my_neighbour

Norman Castle - to me, it sounds like a motor/ventilator fan and constantly running. It can be a fridge but I feel it cannot be so loud to be heard. I could hear the noise by unplugging all electrical appliances in my flat, though.

The entire building is operated on one electricity circulator and I can't switch it off for my flat...thanks for the suggestion.

trailingspouse

I think a carefully worded letter to the landlord, explaining exactly what you've explained here - that there is a noise and while it doesn't bother you, it is bothering one of your neighbours, and that neighbour thinks the noise is coming from your flat. You have tried your best to discuss with the neighbour, and have satisfied yourself that the noise is not of your making (for all the reasons you state above), yet the neighbour continues to contact you about it (I would avoid the word 'harass' at this stage).

Be clear what you would like the landlord to do about it - are you just keeping them informed, do you want them to investigate the noise, do you want them to contact the neighbour and back up your assertion that the noise is nothing to do with you. I certainly wouldn't be thinking of moving out. It's his problem, not yours.

How does this neighbour have your email/mobile details?

my_neighbour

trailingspouse - thank you for your advice. Your line made me think really - what would i want the landlord to do? Nothing... I have been wanting to move out - it is not my personal preference to keep living somewhere by knowing that someone nearby the place is not comfortable...the break clause is to take an effect soon...

The reason for posting here is that I wanted to be assured that my reference by keeping living like this manner would not be 'bad' as i really need to find a nice decent place to live. I have always been lucky though for the past 17 years, and this flat is really out of its shape.

The neighbour got my details because I provided following the first complaint. I wanted to do my very best for the neighbour to maintain the well being (as complaining difficulties to fall asleep due to the noise).

I am in pain because I cannot do anything for the neighbour to solve the 'issue'.

AlexMac

If the hum isn't annoying you, that's not your problem.

What's seemingly annoying you is that a neighbour is mistakenly accusing you of causing it, via text, which (while upsetting) falls well short of "harrassment".

You also hear other peoples' noise as is common in older conversions or even modern flats, but also upsetting to you.

You seem to have decided (in the light of the advice, above) that you will leave at the end of the 6 month tenency (as otherwise, your landlord could recover the otstanding rent if you terminate early).

You fear that you will be wrongly blamed and in consequence, will be given a poor landlord reference?

So why not pre-empt this? Send a simple, understated and courteous letter (not email) to the Landlord explaining that as you are being wrongly accused of being the source of a hum or noise from a pump or motor, relationships between you and the neighbour have broken down due to THEIR inaccurate and unreasonable assumption. You therefore feel that athough the harassment (by text, letter, face-to-face?) is low level, that you prefer to leave at the end of your tenency. Stress that you have at no time created noise or nuisance, nor reacted in a hostile way, but that the neighbour's accusations are unreasonable and upsetting. Say that you expect that the landlord will give you a good reference in respect of any future enquiry by agents or landlords.

Keep a copy

my_neighbour

AlexMac - thank you for those points. I may consider the pre-emption.

However, at the same time, I am taking a risk of highlighting and flagging up all those which can be otherwise hidden from the landlord, am I not?

Also, would I be penalised for living in this manner - that is, i cannot do anything for the neighbour but do not take any actions, either?

[Deleted User]

You might be overthinking this. You have talked to the neighbour, tried to eliminate anything in your place as the source. There's not a lot else you can do.

Write to your LL as explained above just to cover all bases. As long as you do this in an informing, matter of fact way, rather than being 'whiney', I can't see how it can make matters worse.

Just bullet point.. the neighbour says this a, b, c, I met with them to discuss the situation, I did this x,y,z. Matter not resolved, complaints still coming so I prefer to activate the break clause as there's nothing further I can do and the situation is making me uncomfortable.

my_neighbour

deannatrois - I might be...it is just so fearful to deal with landlords directly somewhat because this building is owned by the same landlord and thus all the neighbours got the same one as mine!

I buy the line for the letter: 'I prefer to activate the break clause as ...) the situation is making me uncomfortable.' !!

I just do not have the guts to put it all into writing...

Davesnave

my_neighbour wrote: »

I just do not have the guts to put it all into writing...

You sound as if you would benefit from going on a short one or two day Assertiveness course.

The ones listed in the link below are NOT recommendations, but the list shows the scope of these:

https://www.floodlight.co.uk/london/courses/social-assertiveness-courses/