Selling flat with hellish footsteps from upstairs

Robroy79

Surely there must be something in the property management about transmission of sound - I'm not familiar with the law in Scotland but I have the same issue and it's clear in our leases that flats mustn't have wooden floors down.

There are also building regs about resistance to noise transfer, in Scotland I think it's Building Stds Section 5. There maybe something in there about compliance with a spec that your neighbour must comply with. One approach could be via the council to get them to witness it (and potentially record) and then it gives you an in. It can truly ruin your day to day life at home as the issue with me did - turned out it was a lass living alone who was about 23 and was wearing heels around her flat all day. The sheer moronic thinking is beyond me when people do this.

davidmcn

Robroy79 said:

Surely there must be something in the property management about transmission of sound - I'm not familiar with the law in Scotland but I have the same issue and it's clear in our leases that flats mustn't have wooden floors down.

There are also building regs about resistance to noise transfer, in Scotland I think it's Building Stds Section 5. There maybe something in there about compliance with a spec that your neighbour must comply with. One approach could be via the council to get them to witness it (and potentially record) and then it gives you an in. It can truly ruin your day to day life at home as the issue with me did - turned out it was a lass living alone who was about 23 and was wearing heels around her flat all day. The sheer moronic thinking is beyond me when people do this.

Pretty rare to have anything in the titles (certainly in older properties) specifying what floorcoverings ought to be used, though no harm in checking.

I don't see the relevance of building regulations unless there have been recent works which ought to have complied with them - I'm presuming the OP is talking about a block which predates any building regulations, never mind the current version.

Xiaolongbao

was built in 1903

Xiaolongbao

which back then everyone used carpets so even though the build quality was fast and shoddy, the concept of designing for hardwood flooring wasn't around back then.. walls are paper thin too, can hear neighbours on all sides.

elsien

GDB2222 said:

Are the  ceilings high enough that you could soundproof them? If so, that would be the moral solution that you crave.

See post 3 ref the sound engineer/ceiling height/ cost issues. 

[Deleted User]

This building is 118 years old. The noise transmission is inherent to the building. You have neither the legal nor moral obligation to declare in my opinion but I respect yours all the same.

MovingForwards

Have you had a chat with the occupiers?

Sometimes a simple hi, I'm Xia and live downstairs.  oh I see you have laminate it's dreadful for carrying sound. You're possibly not aware but I can hear everything.

There is info on council sites - expect noise as it's a flat, be considerate to others in the block, forget what else it said.

A mate did it with her neighbour who gave music lessons, the lesson times were changed, piano moved to elsewhere in the room and both were happy. Neighbour was apologetic as she never thought about it.

I lifted the carpet in my lounge as there was laminate with underlay on the floorboards, left the carpets in the hall and bedroom. Checked a few times with my neighbour below and nothing is heard, even when my cat occasionally jumps around. I do take my shoes off in the hall and wear slipper socks. I'm mindful of the noise from my flat because of what I experienced with banging, dropping, dragging, all night parties, constant arguing and a multitude of other things.

theoretica

Xiaolongbao said:

I'll just add that I had no way of knowing before completion of sale about the issue.. it was quiet here during the visit and I was denied a second visit by the selling agency after my offer had been accepted. In hindsight that was a red flat, but regardless..

I understand that is actually standard practice in Scotland - once you have offered you have made the offer and another visit won't benefit the seller.

Murphybear

MovingForwards said:

Have you had a chat with the occupiers?

Sometimes a simple hi, I'm Xia and live downstairs.  oh I see you have laminate it's dreadful for carrying sound. You're possibly not aware but I can hear everything.

There is info on council sites - expect noise as it's a flat, be considerate to others in the block, forget what else it said.

A mate did it with her neighbour who gave music lessons, the lesson times were changed, piano moved to elsewhere in the room and both were happy. Neighbour was apologetic as she never thought about it.

I lifted the carpet in my lounge as there was laminate with underlay on the floorboards, left the carpets in the hall and bedroom. Checked a few times with my neighbour below and nothing is heard, even when my cat occasionally jumps around. I do take my shoes off in the hall and wear slipper socks. I'm mindful of the noise from my flat because of what I experienced with banging, dropping, dragging, all night parties, constant arguing and a multitude of other things.

Quite often people don’t realise they are being noisy.  We lived in a converted flat and the woman in the flat above ours started tap dancing.  There was no carpet on the floor.   We had a quiet word and she was very apologetic and said she had no idea how loud the “taps” were.  She found somewhere else to practise and we never heard a squeak out of her again. 

edgex

For the benefit of those that haven't read the OPs various comments;

it's a flat let out on short-term lets, managed by an agency
they've had a soundproofing person in who has said it would be very expensive, & wouldn't deal with the impact noises



For the OP;

you need to start keeping a noise diary, with date/time & details of the type of noise
see if you can borrow/hire a noise meter

check with your other resident neighbours if they're having issues from the same flat (they may not be happy with it being lots of short-term lets)
check ALL your paperwork to see if there's anything about flooring, & check with neighbours that have been there longer to see if they know anything.