My landlord is my noisy neighbour...

SarahAtTheSeaside

Please don't judge before reading...

I rent an upper flat from a housing association that runs a respite care property below mine, not sure if this was disclosed before signing the lease but is not mentioned within the agreement. It is a residential area with other tenants some of who have daily support workers and some like me who do not. When I signed the lease I was caring for my mother and disabled brother at their home so spent months away from my place and never moved in. When my mum passed away in Dec. I finally moved into my place full time.

I know the respite flat caters for adults with complex needs and is occupied most of the week, but the continuous noise, banging and screaming mostly, all throughout the night every night has now cost me my job (driver) due to lack of sleep and my health. I recently found out I had suffered a TIA or mini stroke "likely" caused by stress. I am now 60yrs old and sofa surfing.

Any advice on how to approach my landlord without them giving me instant notice to leave? Will try CAB for advice after Easter. I am actively looking for somewhere else but no affordable properties available in the town and I am still carer giver to my brother so can't move too far away. Thanks for reading.

user1977

What realistically would you like your landlord to do about it?

elsien

If you have a tenancy they can’t give you instant notice to leave. Or rather they can, but it would be meaningless at this stage. 

 It’s not particularly responsible of them to put people with that level of support need into a flat with poor soundproofing. So I think my starting point would be to approach the landlord about the level of noise -  have you been keeping a diary? 

However I’m a little bit unclear what you want to happen, because you say your sofa surfing which implies that you’re no longer living in your flat. So what action is it that you want the landlord to take? Sort out the noise, move you somewhere else?

dimbo61

Cannot understand the title of your post !
Nothing to do with your Landlord
You live in a flat above a Restbite care unit and find the noise unbearable ?
Report this to your landlord and ask to move flat

SarahAtTheSeaside

user1977 said:

What realistically would you like your landlord to do about it?

Not sure, haven't come up with any reasonable solution they might accept, in the hope I could remain there, was hoping someone else could.

Elsien, you're right.  I have been keeping a diary and am currently on my brothers sofa, he also has an overnight carer so no spare beds. I spend the occasional night at home but only when I've made sure the flat below is empty (easy to do). I doubt they would do any soundproofing just for me and there is no hope of them moving me elsewhere. If they did ask me to leave, I would, but that wouldn't help with getting rehomed via the local council.

SarahAtTheSeaside

dimbo61 said:

Cannot understand the title of your post !
Nothing to do with your Landlord
You live in a flat above a Restbite care unit and find the noise unbearable ?
Report this to your landlord and ask to move flat

My landlord owns and runs the respite flat on a charitable basis. They employ the support workers too.

Brie

Tell you landlord that you need a thick carpet on the floor to help cut the noise.

MultiFuelBurner

How long have you been renting, how long before the noise became too much that made you decide to sofa surf?

Have you mentioned this to your landlord already? What was the response?

Landlords (in this case the source of the problem) can only work something out if told about situations. 

jonnydeppiwish!

Can you not move? Could you not ask for an exchange? 

Could you not put thick carpet down on your floors?
With regards to TIAs, are you mitigating the risks of repeated incidents?

The landlord is probably not going to do much to assist you so you’ll need to help yourself and be proactive.

MattMattMattUK

This is a nuisance noise issue, nothing to do with landlords. First you complain to the occupier/property owner about the nuisance noise, then you report them to the local council who will investigate then take enforcement action.

https://england.shelter.org.uk/professional_resources/legal/housing_conditions/nuisance_and_asb/action_when_noise_is_a_nuisance

housebuyer143

Honestly, the only solution to this is to move. My son has additional needs probably similar to the adults in the residential home below you and he is loud, there is no way to stop this. We had to move to a detached house so the neighbours didn't complain.
They really should have warned you about this as honestly putting people that noisy in a flat is a terrible idea. 
I'm sure your landlord would understand if you asked to leave early.

Can you explain the situation to the council that the flat isn't suitable etc and show the noise diary? Seems highly unfair they would expect you to live above this.