Poor Soundproofing in New Flat - Help!

Barx

I moved into my first purchased leasehold flat a month ago. It is situated on the top floor of a small set of flats built in 1981 and are purpose-built.

Everything seemed to be going well for the first few days until I noticed I could hear my neighbour very clearly underneath me through my laminate flooring. Whats worse is this neighbour (who is renting this property) can be heard talking to himself in the early hours very loudly which is waking me, and the neighbour next to me, up at various times in the night. I can also hear him snoring, leaving me to believe that the sound installation between our flat is very poor (I cannot hear my neighbours on either side of me). To resolve this, I am purchasing thick carpet with heavy underlay in an attempt to muffle the noise as I can and will not live in a property where I am woken up on a regular basis.

I spoke with someone involved with the management who run the property. She informed me that when my flat was rented by a couple they would regularly go downstairs in the early hours to the neighbours underneath (who were also renting their property) and bang on the door / shout through the letterbox demanding they quieten their loud sexual sessions as they could hear it through the floorboards and it was keeping them up. This suggests that the issue of poor soundproofing had been highlighted before.

Should this piece of information have been disclosed to me when I purchased the property? I did everything within my power to ensure that I would not endure noise in this flat but the fact that management had been made aware there were issues with sound in the flat, which had not been disclosed to me, concerns me somewhat. My main concern is that if I continue to complain to management or the council I will have to disclose the issue of noise if I go on to sell which will have a serious impact on the price of the flat. I am also concerned that the heavy underlay and thick carpet, which will cost me in excess of £1,350 to buy and install, will have a minimal effect in muffling the noise. Does anyone know if I should be paying for this or do most leases state that laminate flooring isnt permitted and therefore I should not be responsible for the costs?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

lewishardwick

What would you like them to do? They can't rip out the floor and install something more soundproof.
Many leases do make note of not allowing laminate flooring. But you need to check yours. If it said no laminate, why did you buy the flat? You will have to cover the cost if you want it changed.

I'd imagine if the block ia purpose built, the walls with be of a brick/block type and the floor a concrete slab. For the walls there may be some kind of plasterboard that may help,but you'll lose some of the floor space.

The carpets should help with downstairs, but if you're sensitive to noise, there's little you can do...

jimbog

I would lift the floorboards and stuff fibreglass insulation between the joists throughout

Barx

Hello,

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

I am happy to cover the costs of carpeting the flat if necessary, just wanted to check if it states on the lease that laminate flooring is prohibited if this would mean the freeholder would be responsible in rectifying the issue.

It should also be noted that I hear no sound from the people on either side of me through the walls, it's just below through the floorboards. I understand I will hear noise on occasion, just not at 3am in the morning.. :mad:

lewishardwick

When I moved into my flat (ground floor) I fully expected a bit of noise from upstairs, and I do (they have young children). Luckily the walls between me and next door are block and dot n dabbed plaster board. Yours might be block with plaster skimmed right onto it, so a bit less protection.

The joys of flats!!

Barx

Do you think heavy carpet with Celestial Carpet 10.30mm underlay from Carpet Right will assist with my issue? The last thing I want to do is purchase these items if the effect is minimal.

shortcrust

Barx wrote: »

Hello,

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

I am happy to cover the costs of carpeting the flat if necessary, just wanted to check if it states on the lease that laminate flooring is prohibited if this would mean the freeholder would be responsible in rectifying the issue.

It should also be noted that I hear no sound from the people on either side of me through the walls, it's just below through the floorboards. I understand I will hear noise on occasion, just not at 3am in the morning.. :mad:

That's bizarre. As the leaseholder you are the one who's responsible for keeping to the terms of the lease. If you've got laminate flooring and you've signed a lease saying 'no laminate flooring' they you have to fix that at your expense. Didn't this come up when you bought the place?

The no laminate flooring condition is really to protect the people below from the noise of your footsteps etc on the laminate. I doubt getting a carpet down will do much to help your situation at all. I think you're looking either spending a considerable amount of money on proper sound proofing, or selling up.

JennyP

Barx wrote: »

Do you think heavy carpet with Celestial Carpet 10.30mm underlay from Carpet Right will assist with my issue? The last thing I want to do is purchase these items if the effect is minimal.

Consult an acoustic engineer. My best friend does this for a living. A good one would give you advice on what materials might make a difference and what is worth spending on. My friend has often given a bit of free of advice in cases like this if someone approaches him nicely. Hopefully you could find someone in your area who could do the same.

HampshireH

[QUOTEShould this piece of information have been disclosed to me when I purchased the property? I did everything within my power to ensure that I would not endure noise in this flat but the fact that management had been made aware there were issues with sound in the flat, which had not been disclosed to me, concerns me somewhat.][/QUOTE]

Did you ask the question As to whether the property was affected by noise transference from other flats? Had any complaints of noise been made? Was their adequate soundproofing?

If not then you didn't do everything in your power, nor would they be obliged to disclose.

If however you did ask and they told you untrue answers that's a different matter.

Barx

I spoke with my solicitor about this.

They claim in my sellers reply, they confirm they have not experienced any excessive noise or antisocial behaviours from owners/occupiers of adjoining flats during their period of ownership.

They also inform me there is no specific clause in the Lease prohibiting the installation of laminate flooring. Although in the Pre-assignment Management Information Pack, the management company advise they do not recommend installation of laminate flooring in the flats situated on the first and second floors without a proper sound proof material.

Clause 4 of the Fourth Schedule requires Lessees not to do anything in the demise premises that may cause or become a nuisance to other Lessees within the block. Should the noise persist, then my solicitors suggest I raise this concern with my management. I have already done this several times and management haven't really helped. Management suggest the tenant may have mental health issues - having experienced a bereavement last year - and is not aware that he is talking to himself in the early hours. Management have suggested I speak with the tenant directly and install carpets / underlay but only if it will have an effect. However, I feel soundproofing may be the only way forward.

Does anyone have other suggestions? Should I be challenging management for not declaring that tenants in my property at some point had encountered noise disruption in the early hours? If I go on to sell, would I now need to declare there has been noise disruption? Any advice greatly appreciated :-).

davidmcn

Barx wrote: »

Should I be challenging management for not declaring that tenants in my property at some point had encountered noise disruption in the early hours?

Had anyone asked them? I don't think it's the sort of enquiry normally made to management companies.