Noisy Neighbour - Not sure of next steps

badmemory

Surely if both the council & the LGO say there is no issue with noise then obviously any issue must have been resolved & there is no longer any need to declare it. You could even say that as it is the truth as THEY see it, so just say the truth as they see it, no-one could accuse you of lying because you are completely agreeing with them. Just sell up and find somewhere that is unlikely to have idiots living next door.

phoenix1837

I have come to accept that living in a flat is no different to staying in a Travelodge - you can hear every sound and just have to put up with it. My downstairs neighbour sings very loudly which I can hear, can even hear him snoring. Upstairs even worse as they have wood flooring, young lads that come and go at all hours, never take their shoes off, heavy footed and to top it all off I can hear them 'banging' their girlfriends. I have taken to a white noise machine on very loud in my bedroom. Drowns out most of it but the thumps from upstairs do wake me up with a start.

AmeRose

I've messaged some people privately on here, Jimmy_Boy, hope you don't mind if I flag up that I'm starting an online support group for people experiencing neighbour noise (or any kind of persistent noise problem in their environment), I need the support myself too! So if anyone here is interested, please pm me. Thanks

Rich2808

AmeRose wrote: »

I've messaged some people privately on here, Jimmy_Boy, hope you don't mind if I flag up that I'm starting an online support group for people experiencing neighbour noise (or any kind of persistent noise problem in their environment), I need the support myself too! So if anyone here is interested, please pm me. Thanks

Certainly sounds a great idea. A lot of people suffer in silence leading to much stress and anxiety - particularly if they live on their own.

It can even drive some people to the edge.

So an online support group would be great as it gives people an outlet.

Sadly however sometimes the only option is to move or hope they move - but money can of course be an issue preventing that. Cos life is too short to let selfish people or badly soundproofed conversions or new builds ruin you life.

Jimmy_Boy

AmeRose wrote: »

I've messaged some people privately on here, Jimmy_Boy, hope you don't mind if I flag up that I'm starting an online support group for people experiencing neighbour noise (or any kind of persistent noise problem in their environment), I need the support myself too! So if anyone here is interested, please pm me. Thanks

Hey,

So sorry for such a late reply. I have email notifications on but have had no notifications about this thread, just happened to check it and noticed some responses.

I have no problem with this. It seems obvious to me that nobody understands a problem like this unless they have experienced it themselves.

I think its even worse when you're on your own and have no one to share the burden with, or let off some steam. I live on my own, have no family I keep in contact with and dont have many friends I see on a regular basis, so things boil up inside.

On the odd occasions that I do catch up with friends, I tend to have a little 'whinge' to try and blow off some steam, but am also mindful that theres a limit to how much people want to hear about this.

I found it a little upsetting when there was a recent get together for someones birthday with people I havent seen for 6+ months and the main point of amusement was discussing the issue with my neighbours, to which people had a good old laugh. It demonstrated to me how little people appreciate what I am going through and I personally feel like im at point of having a mental breakdown - I dont find it something to jest about, especially by 'friends'.

I put it down to me and my mental state and try not to let it bother me, but it does. To be honest I dont really like talking about it anymore because I feel like it achieves nothing and all it does is dig up past memories and reminds me how unbearable my life had been for the past 5 years with no help from anyone and very limited sympathy from anyone. Just writing this reply and reminding myself of the ordeal I have been through is making me quite tearful, the whole ordeal has slowly torn me to pieces.

AmeRose

Jimmy_Boy.........I'm so sorry it's been so hard..........and I can tell you I can relate to everything you've said, it's been 3 years for me. I totally get how talking about it is not easy sometimes as it's a reminder. What I want to do in the group is really have a space where people can offload, and support each other, purely because I've been in that place that you describe where friends don't even understand and don't realise just how much it can affect people's lives. I wasn't planning on coming here tonight but glad I did as I've seen your reply and had another message here too from someone. I'll get back to this tomorrow or in a few days at the most. Wishing you all the best. At the moment someone suggested to me to try practicing mindfulness, I do that sometimes anyway and at first I dismissed it......and I was saying that the noise problems I'm having shouldn't be happening, etc, they are unfair and particularly unfair because where I think it's coming from, the neighbour doesn't want to talk about it, but the person who suggested the mindfulness said it will help with dealing with the fact that this is unjust as well and strangely enough it is helping a bit. Anyway, I will come back in the next day or few days (I have some other stuff I'm dealing with at the moment but I won't forget) :-)

webjaved

Noisy neighbours eh, my next door neighbour his lad is hot headed, slams doors, kicks the radiator, plays music very loudly, doesn't get on with his mum and sister and fights with them, it's chaos at times. Even in the middle of the night you'll hear a racket.

hippychick22

Jimmy_Boy wrote: »

I have no problem with this. It seems obvious to me that nobody understands a problem like this unless they have experienced it themselves.

I think its even worse when you're on your own and have no one to share the burden with, or let off some steam. I live on my own, have no family I keep in contact with and dont have many friends I see on a regular basis, so things boil up inside.

OP, I have just read this thread and I could relate to so much of what you said. I'm currently in a flat I've been in for 9 years and I've had hell with 2 out of 3 neighbours living above me.

Like you I've done everything by the book from logs, mediation, recording equipment and I've got nowhere.

I have a real sensitivity to noise and mental health problems so living in a flat is not ideal but as a 40 something singleton I have little choice when it comes to social housing.

I was left with PTSD from years of antisocial behaviour when I lived elsewhere... And so noise especially affects me. Life has been hell here and I've been hospitalised for it several times.

Despite the tenant above me breaching tenancy agreement rules the housing association do nothing, so for 4 days a week I have to endure her grandchildren running around constantly - they never seem to sleep. For 12 months she had no carpets down - during that time I slowly went insane!

At one point things looked up when noisy neighbour #1 moved out in 2013 the housing did a sensitive let and it was bliss, a really nice quiet neighbour. Then they moved and I was back to square one.

Unless you have suffered from noisy neighbours you can't possibly understand how it can affect you mentally.

I had a complete meltdown last weekend when another tenants drunken child arrived in the early hours of the morning and spent 4 hours banging on his parents door - too drunk to realise he was not actually in. The police didn't want to come out, too busy... If I'd confronted him, he would not have got out the building alive!

Like you I'm alone and quite isolated. The friends I do have often ask how things are, but these days I try and avoid taking about it because it feels neverending.

There used to be a very good online noisy neighbour forum, not sure if it still exists.

melanzana

Gosh it sounds awful for a lot of you.

Please understand that I am only throwing out a suggestion here, but if you can afford them, would noise cancelling headphones help at all? There are brilliant headphones out there that connect to your tv and by bluetooth to your phone to listen to the radio and podcasts and so on.

It is just a suggestion that might give peace for a time, whilst the council etc. is investigating things from your side.

JamesTP

Hi Jimmy-boy,
I have been facing a similar difficulty as you since moving into my flat 18 months ago. I would think twice about transferring if it’s social housing? It's tenant led and the landlords only get involved at the last stage when you transfer tenure, so you have no guarantees of the environment you will be moving into. At best you have a 5-0:50 chance it will improve your situation One thing that surprises me in your case is that the council advised the tenant they would be installing recording equipment. By law they have to notify the tenants that it’s an option if the complaints / noise continues, but they aren't supposed to give definite details. Clearly this would undermine the process and I would argue, if they’ve done so suggest their objectivity is in question.

What I've learnt over the years is that local authorities and social landlords are reluctant to deal with noise issues. The main difficulty is that if the tenants are dysfunctional especially where mental health and substance misuse are concerned, there is the cost of re-housing / homing them to consider, and they are just moving the problem on. Additionally it’s practically impossible to manage other than by eviction. In cases where I have spoken to other sufferers, including one involving a flat being used for prostitution and drug dealing, it was only when the police got involved that it stopped. Another issue local authorities have to consider is the rights of the other tenant, especially if they have a medical condition.
As you have reported the technology available for recording noise is only really effective where it is sustained for long periods and excessively loud, shouting, door slamming fighting and loud music etc. Everything else is considered every day domestic noise. You mentioned having a noise monitor recording. Another option you could ask for is for a professional witness to attend? Noise is graded 1-4, accordingly quite, ambient, very noisy & unbearable; I was told by a professional witness that unbearable was similar to someone using a pneumatic drill. Noise above level 3 is considered a breach. From what you’ve said your problem may be insufficient to be considered a breach and even if it is the landlord / local authority may decide not to take action, as was the case in my experience.
My situation started out as a noise issue but escalated and became quite sinister and had to do with the abuse of technology but I wasn’t able to prove it, and the key to getting these issues resolved through the courts is evidence. As you can imagine it was an exhaustive and fruitless process. I put a great deal of my time, energy and money into it and it has cost me more in terms of my health and career; so I would seriously consider your options and maybe think out of the box and out of your comfort zone. In both of my situations the other tenants are what I would describe as highly unreasonable, so mediation of any kind is not on the cards. From what you’ve said your neighbours are approachable and it doesn’t come across as ‘targeted harassment’ so that is already in your favour. I think your best option might be trying to work something out with them that works for you both. It may depend on how far you are willing to go.