Neighbour noise - how much is acceptable?

Crumble2018

I need a bit of perspective.  We had new neighbours move in last week.  We are in a flat – they are middle floor and we are top floor.  We have had a few occasions of very loud music being played.  It’s not an issue we ever had with the previous owner.  I haven’t met them yet, but my partner has.  When it happened last night, my partner was out, and I didn’t really want to knock on their door and complain when I haven’t even met them!

 I am very sensitive to noise, so find it hard to know if I’m over-reacting.  I’m of the view that I shouldn’t be able to hear other people music and TV’s.  We have a sub-woofer with our TV soundbar that we don’t use out of respect to our neighbours.  So I expect the same in return.  Am I asking too much?  Should we have to accept other people’s noise???

 

RelievedSheff

They perhaps don't realise how much the sound travels through the flat. 

Unfortunately living in close proximity to others you are going to hear some noise from them at some point. 

I'm certainly not condoning playing loud music and I fully understand the situation. We lived next door to noisy neighbours for 12 years in a 1930's semi and it was hell in earth, not helped by the neighbours being unapproachable, rude and plain nasty.

I would try and approach them about the situation but wait until you have had the chance to meet them and weigh them up and try to keep the situation civil and polite. Neighbour disputes rarely if ever end well.

At the end of the day though you are going to get some noise from adjoining properties and to expect absolute silence would be expecting too much.

Crumble2018

RelievedSheff said:

At the end of the day though you are going to get some noise from adjoining properties and to expect absolute silence would be expecting too much.

I know - I admit I'm very sensitive, although it's only background TV and music that upsets me - I think it grates because I get angry that people can't be considerate. We live near a busy road and railway line - neither bother me at all.  I really need to live in a detached property, but sadly we're never going to be able to afford that!!

Bigphil1474

The legal standard is whether it causes a statutory nuisance - does it interfere with your enjoyment of your property sufficiently. The test is based on the man on the Clapham Omnibus i.e. what would an average person expect. Having said that, depends on your property - if the barrier between the two flats is minimal then you'd likely hear noise anyway, and the neighbour can't be responsible for the lack of insulation. You could have been lucky with a quiet neighbour before.
I had a neighbour a few years ago who had a dog that howled from about a minute after she went out until she got back. Obviously, she was unaware. We just mentioned it to her, and she left the dog with her mum - sorted. Often it's best to speak to your neighbours in a friendly constructive way as they aren't always aware they are causing a problem. A bit of give and take, and all should be well. If they are unwilling to be reasonable, and the problems get worse, speak to your local council.

silverwhistle

When I moved into a flat in Italy once an old dear in the block said 'top floor? How lucky!'. It's a universal problem and at least you have nobody above you and could take up tap dancing if you ever needed to retaliate..

But no, the advice you've been given is good. Take it gently to begin with.

Norman_Castle

Crumble2018 said:

I need a bit of perspective.  We had new neighbours move in last week.  We are in a flat – they are middle floor and we are top floor.  We have had a few occasions of very loud music being played.  It’s not an issue we ever had with the previous owner.  I haven’t met them yet, but my partner has.  When it happened last night, my partner was out, and I didn’t really want to knock on their door and complain when I haven’t even met them!

 I am very sensitive to noise, so find it hard to know if I’m over-reacting.  I’m of the view that I shouldn’t be able to hear other people music and TV’s.  We have a sub-woofer with our TV soundbar that we don’t use out of respect to our neighbours.  So I expect the same in return.  Am I asking too much?  Should we have to accept other people’s noise???

Being irritated by your neighbour playing "very loud" music doesn't make you sensitive to noise, very few people welcome unnecessary noise from their neighbours. It wasn't a problem with the previous neighbour which suggests the problem is the neighbour rather than the soundproofing.

Your considerate behaviour is likely to be suggesting noise doesn't travel between the flats possibly suggesting their loud music isn't a problem. They need to be told politely their noise is excessive and troubling you. How they respond to this determines how much of a problem this will be.

Rosa_Damascena

I hate excess noise and in your position I would not be happy.

You might find some solidarity in the occupants of the GFF - if you get the music, they may well be benefiting form footsteps and machinery.

ic

Depends what "very loud" actually means.  Lidl had a sound level meter available a few weeks ago - maybe £20?  This will either confirm to you they're too loud, or you're too sensitive - but at the same time could make you obsessive about it.

I live in an end terrace.  If we sit in silence we can hear the sound of my neighbour's TV or radio - we can't make out what it is, but we can hear it.  Turn on our own TV or radio and we don't hear a thing.  Voices is a rare thing, and we of course can hear footsteps in the night.  But that's just part of being in an attached house.

I'm currently in the process of moving to a detached house.  Can't wait to stretch the legs of my separates AV system.

RelievedSheff

ic said:

Depends what "very loud" actually means.  Lidl had a sound level meter available a few weeks ago - maybe £20?  This will either confirm to you they're too loud, or you're too sensitive - but at the same time could make you obsessive about it.

I live in an end terrace.  If we sit in silence we can hear the sound of my neighbour's TV or radio - we can't make out what it is, but we can hear it.  Turn on our own TV or radio and we don't hear a thing.  Voices is a rare thing, and we of course can hear footsteps in the night.  But that's just part of being in an attached house.

I'm currently in the process of moving to a detached house.  Can't wait to stretch the legs of my separates AV system.

You will find it strange the first few nights when you move into your new home that you can't hear anything from next door. I know we did. Even now 18 months on we still sometimes find ourselves whispering to each other so that next door don't hear us. They will have a job on when the nearest house is 6m one way and 13m the other 

Norman_Castle

ic said:

Depends what "very loud" actually means.  Lidl had a sound level meter available a few weeks ago - maybe £20?  This will either confirm to you they're too loud, or you're too sensitive - but at the same time could make you obsessive about it.

A db meter will measure sound but it won't confirm anything. I've had a professional, calibrated sound monitoring kit costing thousands in my home. I measured an old Roberts portable radio at 80db. I then matched the 80db with my hifi. The hifi sounded far louder at 80db despite the db measurement. Measuring equipment can be useful when gathering evidence but sound is subjective. I complained about a neigbours machinery running overnight, the council noise team assessed it by listening. No measurements were taken, the noise teams opinion on what is acceptable is accepted.

TELLIT01

Crumble2018 said:

I know - I admit I'm very sensitive, although it's only background TV and music that upsets me - I think it grates because I get angry that people can't be considerate. We live near a busy road and railway line - neither bother me at all.  I really need to live in a detached property, but sadly we're never going to be able to afford that!!

They can't be considerate it they don't know there is a problem.  As your wife has met them she would seem the obvious person to speak to them.