Annoying But Not Nightmare Neighbours

elsien

I have had a couple of lots of annoying neighbours and what winds me up most is when they’re just being inconsiderate. 

Dog barking occasionally at the door, kid having a tantrum,  I can deal with. It’s life and it’s not something they have a huge amount of control over.
The loud parties that go on with drunken singing till 3am, the music in the garden that’s so loud it sends me inside, the dog yapping continuously in the garden while they sit inside and ignore it - they’re not every week (except the dog) but they are things they have control over but are choosing to do anyway. 

That bothers me because it’s just pig ignorant. 
So sometimes it’s not the noise itself, it’s the selfishness behind it that makes it harder to ignore. 

Grumpy_chap

jonners666 said:

We moved into our house just over 2 months ago. In that time the (attached, semi) neighbours have had 2 parties that have gone on past midnight. 

they occasionally (3-4 times in 2 months) play music very loudly for 30mins-1hr in the middle of the day 

They also have a motorbike which is loud 




Now - I'm sure we are not the quietest family either - we have a dog who barks at the doorbell, and a 2-year-old who is very terrible-twosy at the moment. But imo these are more normal family noises than late parties or loud music. 

In 15-or-so years' time - when your 2-year old is passed the tantrum stage - what will be the "normal family noises" emanating from your house?

jonners666

I'm bumping this because the issue seems to have gotten worse and I'm not sure whether to now approach the council / environmental health about it. 

This is noise diary I have of the incidents that have genuinely affected us since we moved in April (ie not all the times we've heard the music, but the times it's interrupted sleep or work). 

I'd be interested to know if this seems 'reasonable', or if indeed this is too much:

30/4/21 - 11:30am - 3:30 pm - interrupted work

26/05/21 - 8pm -1am - prevented sleep (two adults and a toddler)

15/06/21 - bass music in the garden 11pm- 1am - kept awake

26/6/21 - bass music 1-4pm - interrupted work

13/07/21 - loud music in garden 8pm-3am - prevented sleep

18/08/21 - bass music 7:30pm - midnight - prevented sleep

19/08/21 - bass music 8-11:30 

04/09/21 - bass music 7pm-midnight (very loud at 11-11:30) interrupted sleep

13/09/21 - bass music 7:30-11pm - prevented getting to sleep

28/09/21 - bass music 2pm - ongoing now. Interrupted work. 

I have attempted to speak to the neighbours (well, the man - I've never seen the woman), and he was completely unapproachable, to the point of basically ignoring me / pretending I wasn't speaking to him.

So I feel an official route is the only way to get any sort of resolution, but I also don't want to make the situation worse and cause them to be even more disruptive in retaliation. They are renting, so hopefully they move, but as far as I can tell they've been here about 4 years.

comeandgo

In my mind other than the few times past midnight, and that seems to be about once a month then it’s just normal living but I do like music.  It’s not their fault you work from home.

Phil4432

I thought I was a quiet guitarist, until I heard the teenage girl in her garden two doors down singing along.  But if anyone asked me to keep it down, I would have done so instantly.

Some people turn into psychopaths when you ask them to turn it down though.  Pick your battles.  Is the noise affecting your child in anyway?  You said you managed to sleep through their parties with earplugs, and that the parties are only occasional.  That doesn't sound too bad. 

Does you dog ONLY yap at the doorbell?  If its a garden yapper, you are most probably also driving neighbors mad.

If the music is so loud that the bass is shaking the walls, you have a cause for complaint.  But you've also got to consider how they'll react.

If they maintain their property and there are no other issues than the ones you've described, maybe invest in soundproofing.  That will not completely solve the issue but could make it more bearable.
   

jonners666

comeandgo said:

In my mind other than the few times past midnight, and that seems to be about once a month then it’s just normal living but I do like music.  It’s not their fault you work from home.

See I don't understand this at all. I also like music, but I wouldn't play it so loudly it can be heard in the adjoining house. It's just ignorant and anti-social imo. 

Phil4432 said:

Is the noise affecting your child in anyway?  You said you managed to sleep through their parties with earplugs, and that the parties are only occasional.  That doesn't sound too bad. 

Does you dog ONLY yap at the doorbell?  If its a garden yapper, you are most probably also driving neighbors mad.

If the music is so loud that the bass is shaking the walls, you have a cause for complaint.  But you've also got to consider how they'll react.

If they maintain their property and there are no other issues than the ones you've described, maybe invest in soundproofing.  That will not completely solve the issue but could make it more bearable.
   

Doesn't really affect our child, or my wife overly much. It's mostly me. 

Dog only barks at the doorbell. Mostly he sleeps. 

Yes exactly - the possibility of them reacting by being even worse is what is putting me off making an official complaint. 

I've heard... mixed reviews about sound-proofing. 

comeandgo

But surely it’s a bit of give and take with neighbours and music.  In semis the neighbours are bound to hear it but it’s only for a short time.  Your wife and child are not being affected by it so it seems to be you that is the problem and if you complain to the council do you think they will side with you or your neighbours?  You really must pick your battles wisely.  Also you have a barking dog which you can’t control otherwise it would not bark.

jonners666

The dog barks 1-2 times when someone knocks on the door. A maximum of ~30 seconds maybe 2-3 times a week.

Do you really think that is comparable? Playing loud bass music in a semi is just antisocial.

980233

jonners666 said:

I'm bumping this because the issue seems to have gotten worse and I'm not sure whether to now approach the council / environmental health about it. 

I have attempted to speak to the neighbours (well, the man - I've never seen the woman), and he was completely unapproachable, to the point of basically ignoring me / pretending I wasn't speaking to him.

So I feel an official route is the only way to get any sort of resolution, but I also don't want to make the situation worse and cause them to be even more disruptive in retaliation. They are renting, so hopefully they move, but as far as I can tell they've been here about 4 years.

Yeah they definitely voted brexit ,stock piled jerry cans and bog roll.

Obviously don't give a damn as renting and any dispute will not affect the price of their house.

jonners666

@980233 - not sure about that, I'm pretty sure they are Eastern European (but not sure exactly where they're from).