Laminate Flooring - Noise Nuisance

Alex123456

Hi

This topic has probably been raised many times before but I am so depressed I am not sure what to do and wonder if anyone has any advice.

I have lived in a council flat for many years and in the last 10 years the flat above has had laminate flooring. The flat is privately owned (The tenancy states you can lay laminate with the Council's permission, however I cannot get an answer as to whether permission was given).

The noise is horrendous I cannot eat or sleep properly (sometimes the tenants move around all night) There is also DIY, running, slamming of doors at all hours. I want to go up and talk to them but the previous tenants were rude and intimidating and I am a bit scared in case these are the same.

I know it is not all the tenants fault it is the owners for laying the laminate flooring in the first place, but I am not sure what to do. The council doesn't really know what to do either apart from telling me they cannot enforce them to take up the flooring. I would be happy if they would put carpet down but I know the owners did not want to do this. Would it be a good idea to get a solicitor or maybe write to the local councillor for help?

RelievedSheff

Go and speak to the neighbours.

Just because the last lot were idiots doesn't mean these will be.

Be calm when you go around and don't raise your voice and explain the noise transmission between the properties.

Socajam

If possible see if one of them would be prepared to visit your flat and have the other one moved around upstairs. This way they would be able to see how much noise you have being living with.
I was thinking of installing laminate flooring in my first floor flat for the new tenants, you are the second person you have written in about the noise issue, so now I have decided to install carpet

Smodlet

Socajam wrote: »

If possible see if one of them would be prepared to visit your flat and have the other one moved around upstairs. This way they would be able to see how much noise you have being living with.
I was thinking of installing laminate flooring in my first floor flat for the new tenants, you are the second person you have written in about the noise issue, so now I have decided to install carpet

Your tenants will thank you, Socajam. Imho, any flooring other than carpet over good quality underlay should be illegal in flats... In anything other than detached houses, ideally but considerate neighbours can make all the difference, I vaguely recall.

OP, my advice would be to try the council again and escalate until you get somewhere. I have yet to come across a council whose first response is anything other than to deny all knowledge and pass the buck. Their default setting is Utterly Useless; anything over that takes a long time and a great deal of hard work but can, eventually, bear fruit.

I wish you luck.

Alex123456

Thank you for all your replies. I finally went up to the tenants. I didn't shout or argue. I just calmly told them the flooring was the problem and maybe a carpet or rug may help. They said it wouldn't and were just as bad as the previous tenants, completely apathetic. Last night was the worst night: I have a feeling they deliberately created even more noise. I haven't slept for ages and it is so stressful as I feel like crying all the time.

[Deleted User]

Alex123456 wrote: »

Thank you for all your replies. I finally went up to the tenants. I didn't shout or argue. I just calmly told them the flooring was the problem and maybe a carpet or rug may help. They said it wouldn't and were just as bad as the previous tenants, completely apathetic. Last night was the worst night: I have a feeling they deliberately created even more noise. I haven't slept for ages and it is so stressful as I feel like crying all the time.

you need to move

[Deleted User]

I would try a decent set of noiseless headphones playing something I like to listen to that is relaxing. i dealt with a neighbours constantly barking dogs this way. Only problem is I now also don't hear the postman knocking.

I can also wear them if sleeping is difficult.

Mutton_Geoff

I really sympathise, I am a very light sleeper and my bugbear is American hotel room doors that seem to have the loudest slamming mechanism on them.


I have tried all sorts of earplugs but they usually fall out in the night or are uncomfortable. Somebody recommended these to me and I've had them about six months and they are fantastic. They fit nicely and stay in all night. They have a little tube in them so you can still hear your alarm. They are expensive but are lasting well and have helped me sleep properly at night - Senner SleepPro earplugs

missile

Bose QC35 work for me

RelievedSheff

Alex123456 wrote: »

Thank you for all your replies. I finally went up to the tenants. I didn't shout or argue. I just calmly told them the flooring was the problem and maybe a carpet or rug may help. They said it wouldn't and were just as bad as the previous tenants, completely apathetic. Last night was the worst night: I have a feeling they deliberately created even more noise. I haven't slept for ages and it is so stressful as I feel like crying all the time.

Sorry to hear this.

It might not be what you want to hear but moving may possibly be your best option.

We put up with noisy neighbours for 12 years and it was only when we moved into a detached house in April this year that we realised just what an effect it had had on our lives. We are all much happier now including the dog who is much more settled in the new house.

gomer

I have lived with really noisy people below me but have also been on the other side of this argument before.

When i first moved into my new flat, within a couple of weeks i started being harassed by a downstairs neighbour who kept knocking on my door trying to bully me into tip toeing around in my new home & complaining about every tiny little sound. It got to a point that i couldn't even walk from one side of the room to the other without him shouting abuse up at me.

I even wondered if perhaps i was making a lot of noise but just wasn't aware of it He became so obsessed with his bullying campaign that he then reported me to the council for antisocial behaviour & influenced other residents to complain about me as well.

The outcome was that he ended up being evicted himself after causing months of harassment & antisocial behaviour of his own with his unreasonable complaints & nuisance behaviour. It was proven with recording equipment that nothing other than normal everyday household sounds was being made & that my neighbour was being completely unreasonable and causing harassment.

What i am trying to say is are you absolutely sure you are not focusing too much on every little sound because you had issues with previous neighbours? I genuinely really was not causing or even trying to cause any unreasonable noise in my flat & was vindicated with recording equipment, but the man below me described normal household movement and sounds in a similar way to yourself - that it was constant & keeping him awake.

If indeed your perception of the noise is worse than the actual noise itself then perhaps living in such close proximity to other people is not for you & maybe you need to think about moving.