Unbearable door slamming from neighbours!

user1977

k4ren2006 said:

I wish you the very best of luck 

You're talking to somebody who hasn't even logged into this site since 13 months ago.

Rinzler

k4ren2006 said:

I might have a few answers as we've been through this for the past 7 years and oh boy, have we gone around and around in circles over this.  We've done the diary, reported to the council who came to the property in question and did a fire door test inside the students HMO.  We heard no noise whatsoever however when a new lot moved in, door slamming, constantly.  Another test was done with environmental health (EVH) officers, two in ours and two next door.  The officers opened and closed each one of the six doors.  We heard very little but there was some slight evidence of noise.  The EVH then closed our case as they deemed it as 'day to day' noise.  However, we fought on as the noise was much louder day to day than during the test.  We suspected some students were pulling or pushing the doors shut.  They denied it, of course.  So we escalated our then existing complaint to the council and raised with the Government Ombudsman.  They felt the EVH didn't do enough so again, another fire door test, same set up.  They tried to conduct it the same as before, by letting the doors close by themselves.  We pushed and pushed and eventually, the officer next door pulled the fire door...BOOM! There was the sound we had been suffering from for 3 years, day and night, dozens of times a day.  Again the students denied doing this but we knew what the cause was.  Thankfully, another set of students moved in but it started again.  We popped a note in and called around politely explaining to them that pulling or pushing makes a sledgehammer sound our side.  Plus when windows are open front and back, the slight click noise that was heard during the test is louder.  We also notice that the thumps are louder during the winter - probably the cold or the doors changing shape slightly.  We had two blissful, quiet, normal years through Covid but a new lot has arrived!  All bar one are perfect neighbours.  We have a Community Liaison Officer with the Uni who swore blind she'll help.  In fairness, she got the Council back out.  They say the doors are fitted correctly and the closer is correct but try telling anyone the one student is slamming....no chance.  She's paying 9k to the Uni, each year and swears blind she's not pulling the door....guess we're making this up then?  You're probably wondering why are we still here.  It's because I love my home, we have a fantastic community and by moving, we'll jump from the frying pan into the fire as we can't afford to buy and our social housing landlord has no decent homes available.  Everywhere around us is having student issues as the Uni has expanded and HMO's are rife everywhere. 

My advice, if you can, get evidence.  Without this then you're a mad person.  Sadly, fire door thumps don't record very well and it's difficult to predict when they'll come but try anyway.   Also, contact your local councillor and the Uni itself.  Be a thorn in their side and don't give up.  You will feel like it, many times.  Their job is to discredit you and protect their incoming fees.  Soundproofing will work a little but it won't stop the thumps.  We've lost space in our house by double and triple soundproofing each room (to stop annoying day to day noise, loud talking, music, alarms going off, playstation shouting parties etc).  A slamming door indicates the closer has failed.  It's dangerous and a fire hazard.  Stress this and request a fire door test be conducted in both properties.  They should also be in constant communication too during the test.  They weren't during our 1st test with them so that's how we got another one done.  The Council do have an obligation to ensure a property meets standards so go with the door closer failing.  Also, the Uni may have got the student to sign some sort of student charter that should deal with bad behavior, ask them while you report these students for being too loud.  One thing I do know, Universities hate having their reputation ruined so worth taking this in board.

Sorry for the long winded post but this is a serious issue and I know my mental health is shot with this very intrusive noise.

I wish you the very best of luck and you're not alone x

Thank you so, so much for the reply! It's very informative and i have read over your message a few times as I will be taking your advice and contacting the council. I am at the end of my tether! 

Unfortunately the door slamming is still occuring. We have had a nightmare over the Christmas period with the slamming... including CHRISTMAS DAY. 5am slamming on Christmas Eve and slamming all throughout the night on the days after. It has completely dampened the mood for us especially knowing that the road is empty except...yep you guess it our next door! Typical! Sorry I had to rant!

Thank again for your reply it is really appreciated and I am glad I'm not alone!

SavingPennies_2

I can't believe they cant improve the design of these doors, totally understand they are for fire safety but having lived in a block of flats fitted with them I agree the noise becomes unbearable, both from the neighbours and even in my own flat! Many people end up propping the doors open to stop them slamming shut but of course that then defeats the purpose. 

Murphybear

It’s not only tenants and/or students who slam doors.  We lived in a nice market town in the wilds of Devon and the next door neighbours were an absolute nightmare.  They slammed doors (among other things) all the time.  They owned the house, we rented so we moved.  

GDB2222

Murphybear said:

It’s not only tenants and/or students who slam doors.  We lived in a nice market town in the wilds of Devon and the next door neighbours were an absolute nightmare.  They slammed doors (among other things) all the time.  They owned the house, we rented so we moved.  

Presumably, the noise carried both ways. Did you speak to them about this, and could they hear you? 

NorbieG

Rinzler said:

Hello,

I live next door to a student property.

We haven't had tenants next door in quite a while due to covid however uni is about to begin and it has reminded us about the horrible noise that comes from next door.

This property has currently had builders and cleaners in getting ready for the next set of tenants to come in

Quite frankly the building has been built so poorly that the sound unfortunately heavily leaks into our property and it never used to before it underwent the transformation into a HMO.

The main issue is the doors. Oh my god they are so loud that they slam shut and shake my house! And as you can imagine with a group of 6 students who have friends over a lot of the time the noise is unbearable and it's making mine and my family's life living hell.

They will constantly run up and down the stairs, going in each others rooms with the doors slamming shut each time! We are aware that this is not their fault but the noise that comes from this makes me so angry, upset and depressed.

Like I can't even enjoy watching TV or a film until they move out for Xmas or summer as the door slamming is so jarring it ruins the mood. Just imagine having to live like this. 

The doors are so loud it makes me jump. I have to put white noise on at max volume to even sleep.

When the students arrive this will go on until the early hours especially now that most of the classes will be online. It keeps us up at night and can't sleep until they sleep. 

It has caused depression in most of the people living in my house and we have complained numerous times over the years to the landlord and estate agents but they are 'fire hazard' compliant doors so they won't do anything about it.

I was just wondering what to do? What my rights are? I do not want to live another year like this!

(We are currently looking to move too but that has become so hard for us at the moment so in the mean time I want this sorted once and for all)

Wow!!  You know what; your situation is very similar to mine - if not the same.  At first, I thought I was reading about my situation I posted on here and other social media and someone had shared it.  It was not until I read a few more words I realised it was your situation I was reading about.

I'm getting fire door noises [and laminate flooring noise] from both sides of me.  And the council doesn't care, mainly because they benefit from HMOs.  For 8 years I have been fighting them single-handedly for my basic human rights and justice because of the fire doors' noises they imposed upon me.

I have a very long story to tell, but I have to cut it short because people would lose interest in reading it.  Part of my long story is about:- (from) the council's bogus, biased, and covered-up fire doors' noise investigation to where I complained to the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) about the approach and conduct of the council's environmental health dept./officer in dealing with the investigation - to where the LGO didn't investigate the council/officer, but covered up and supported them.

8 years of frustration fighting the council about the fire doors' noises from the HMO property, [and recently fire doors and laminate flooring noises coming from the flats on the other side of me].  I'm suffering from anxiety, stress, and depression; and was hospitalised with a mild stroke brought on because of all the trauma.  I was also suicidal until when my doctor spoke to me and stopped me.

There is absolutely no help from anyone, anywhere, because our situation has to do with the government's/council's regulations regarding fire door safety for [multiple] tenants.  The local Councillors, the Leader of the Council, the Chief Executive, and the local MP don't want to know!  If you've come across anyone, anywhere that helped you, please share the information with me.

Citizen Advice informed me that the only way I may be able to get out of my situation is by taking legal action against the council; however, it will be expensive.  And without legal aid, or, pro bono to help me, I can't afford solicitors' fees which I understand is around £450 an hour (minimum).  So to make legal action affordable, victims like you and I will have to get together and share the cost to take legal action against the government or our local councils.

NorbieG

SavingPennies_2 said:

I can't believe they cant improve the design of these doors, totally understand they are for fire safety but having lived in a block of flats fitted with them I agree the noise becomes unbearable, both from the neighbours and even in my own flat! Many people end up propping the doors open to stop them slamming shut but of course that then defeats the purpose. 

When you tell people about these fire doors noises they tend not to believe you - or even think you'r exaggerating.  Councils and landlords knows about them but they wont do anything to solve the problems because it will cost them loads of money.  So they leave the victim to suffer, as long as they are alright making money from other people's misery, mental health and well being!  

NorbieG

SavingPennies_2 said:

I can't believe they cant improve the design of these doors, totally understand they are for fire safety but having lived in a block of flats fitted with them I agree the noise becomes unbearable, both from the neighbours and even in my own flat! Many people end up propping the doors open to stop them slamming shut but of course that then defeats the purpose. 

I believe they can be designed better - especially for substandard properties.  However, it's not just about the [heavy hydraulic-spring] fire doors.  They must choose properties that are solidly built and suitable for those types of fire doors, or, buy detached properties for HMO purposes.

NorbieG

Rinzler said:

k4ren2006 said:

I might have a few answers as we've been through this for the past 7 years and oh boy, have we gone around and around in circles over this.  We've done the diary, reported to the council who came to the property in question and did a fire door test inside the students HMO.  We heard no noise whatsoever however when a new lot moved in, door slamming, constantly.  Another test was done with environmental health (EVH) officers, two in ours and two next door.  The officers opened and closed each one of the six doors.  We heard very little but there was some slight evidence of noise.  The EVH then closed our case as they deemed it as 'day to day' noise.  However, we fought on as the noise was much louder day to day than during the test.  We suspected some students were pulling or pushing the doors shut.  They denied it, of course.  So we escalated our then existing complaint to the council and raised with the Government Ombudsman.  They felt the EVH didn't do enough so again, another fire door test, same set up.  They tried to conduct it the same as before, by letting the doors close by themselves.  We pushed and pushed and eventually, the officer next door pulled the fire door...BOOM! There was the sound we had been suffering from for 3 years, day and night, dozens of times a day.  Again the students denied doing this but we knew what the cause was.  Thankfully, another set of students moved in but it started again.  We popped a note in and called around politely explaining to them that pulling or pushing makes a sledgehammer sound our side.  Plus when windows are open front and back, the slight click noise that was heard during the test is louder.  We also notice that the thumps are louder during the winter - probably the cold or the doors changing shape slightly.  We had two blissful, quiet, normal years through Covid but a new lot has arrived!  All bar one are perfect neighbours.  We have a Community Liaison Officer with the Uni who swore blind she'll help.  In fairness, she got the Council back out.  They say the doors are fitted correctly and the closer is correct but try telling anyone the one student is slamming....no chance.  She's paying 9k to the Uni, each year and swears blind she's not pulling the door....guess we're making this up then?  You're probably wondering why are we still here.  It's because I love my home, we have a fantastic community and by moving, we'll jump from the frying pan into the fire as we can't afford to buy and our social housing landlord has no decent homes available.  Everywhere around us is having student issues as the Uni has expanded and HMO's are rife everywhere. 

My advice, if you can, get evidence.  Without this then you're a mad person.  Sadly, fire door thumps don't record very well and it's difficult to predict when they'll come but try anyway.   Also, contact your local councillor and the Uni itself.  Be a thorn in their side and don't give up.  You will feel like it, many times.  Their job is to discredit you and protect their incoming fees.  Soundproofing will work a little but it won't stop the thumps.  We've lost space in our house by double and triple soundproofing each room (to stop annoying day to day noise, loud talking, music, alarms going off, playstation shouting parties etc).  A slamming door indicates the closer has failed.  It's dangerous and a fire hazard.  Stress this and request a fire door test be conducted in both properties.  They should also be in constant communication too during the test.  They weren't during our 1st test with them so that's how we got another one done.  The Council do have an obligation to ensure a property meets standards so go with the door closer failing.  Also, the Uni may have got the student to sign some sort of student charter that should deal with bad behavior, ask them while you report these students for being too loud.  One thing I do know, Universities hate having their reputation ruined so worth taking this in board.

Sorry for the long winded post but this is a serious issue and I know my mental health is shot with this very intrusive noise.

I wish you the very best of luck and you're not alone x

Thank you so, so much for the reply! It's very informative and i have read over your message a few times as I will be taking your advice and contacting the council. I am at the end of my tether! 

Unfortunately the door slamming is still occuring. We have had a nightmare over the Christmas period with the slamming... including CHRISTMAS DAY. 5am slamming on Christmas Eve and slamming all throughout the night on the days after. It has completely dampened the mood for us especially knowing that the road is empty except...yep you guess it our next door! Typical! Sorry I had to rant!

Thank again for your reply it is really appreciated and I am glad I'm not alone!

Long story short...  I've been there..., done everything... and the council, 3 councillors, the leader of the council, the chief executive, and the local MP won't do anything about fire doors' noises because the government and councils support HMOs 100%!  Because, they make money from the sale of HMO licences, and HMOs help with their housing shortages.  So, HMOs are known to be the new sort of council accommodations.

NameUnavailable

Could you gift them some stick on door buffers, or felt that goes around the frame to stop draughts and also reduces noise of the door closing?