Incessant Barking / Poor Soundproofing

janj1332

pinkteapot said:

Really long post so some people may miss the fact that the previous occupant had dogs - and large gatherings - and you didn't have any noise issues. Sounds like the renovations have had a significant effect on the sound-proofing. 

I don't have any advice re this - others will know what to suggest - but just didn't want this point getting lost.

You can go to your local Council with a noise complaint, but if you have any plans to sell the house you'd then have to declare it as a dispute. 

Thanks pinkteapot. Yes, this is the most annoying thing about the whole thing really. Very little could be heard through the wall beforehand. That's the crux of the issue. The dog noise is annoying but the underlying and more important issue is the soundproofing. We feel as though the landlords/renovators (they're one in the same) are the ones responsible for this and we'd like to know what to do about getting it sorted - if we can, that is. 

janj1332

MultiFuelBurner said:

Were you approached before.the building work occurred on the party wall?

Not at any point. The fact that much of the work was carried out during hours which might be deemed unreasonable (evenings,weekends) suggests to me that they perhaps aren't too well up on building rules and regulations.

markin

Could mostly be down to carpets being removed, but socket in the party walls is certainly not helping.

Sound proofing the alcoves is probably the easiest path than waiting for the landlord to do anything.

HampshireH

janj1332 said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

Were you approached before.the building work occurred on the party wall?

Not at any point. The fact that much of the work was carried out during hours which might be deemed unreasonable (evenings,weekends) suggests to me that they perhaps aren't too well up on building rules and regulations.

Or they just had day jobs?

Talk to the landlord. Explain the situation. Explain the tenant wasn't pleasant when approached (but some adjustments were made) and you no longer feel comfortable approaching them as the relationship has seemingly broken down. As a result you are coming to them as a last resort before looking at other options such as Environmental health noise team.

The suggestion about looking after their dog isn't a route I would go down  Why should you take responsibility for someone else's decision to get a dog and then not meet it's needs (whether that is a doggy day care / training/ being home / whatever reason the dog is unsettled enough to be barking everytime)

ThisIsWeird

Hi Janj.

At the moment, it would appear that you are 'quiet' neighbours, so the dog owners won't realise just how poor the sound insulation seems to be? So perhaps start doing normal stuff like playing your music through speakers, at normal volume, rather than use headphones - especially when they are at home? 

Do you have a TV in one of the noise-affected rooms? Do you run it at normal volume, or tend to keep it compensatorily quiet? Perhaps it's time for 'normal'?

This is not to get back at the neighbour, but to hopefully demonstrate to them that there is likely a genuine issue here - what appears to be a flaw in the fabric of the party wall  as a result of the renovation work that was carried out.

So if you have been 'considerate' up until now, then perhaps it's time to stop, as they might have a wrong impression of the noise issue?

Ditto with conversations - if you can hear them, then perhaps it's time they heard you? How about a "Wow - you can make out every word they say! I wonder if they can hear us?!"

This should be done alongside the other approaches outlined previously. And not as retaliation, but just to demonstrate the issue back to them (just in case you have been walking on eggshells).

And don't go all Billy Butcher on them, y'hear.

MultiFuelBurner

Of course the above could escalate the situation equally as much as bringing.it to their attention as an issue....

Maybe suggest to them you will use some devices at a normal level and ask them if they can hear it next door make this a mutual beneficial issue saying you will contact the landlord?

ThisIsWeird

MultiFuelBurner said:

Of course the above could escalate the situation equally as much as bringing.it to their attention as an issue....

Maybe suggest to them you will use some devices at a normal level and ask them if they can hear it next door make this a mutual beneficial issue saying you will contact the landlord?

Of course. If living normally could escalate the matter.

I'm just suggesting that if the OP is overcompensating the other way, they will be giving the neighbour a wrong impression of the issue.

Should the neighbour then come to their door to complain, they can always be invited in to have a listen to the 'normal' sound levels within.

janj1332

HampshireH said:

janj1332 said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

Were you approached before.the building work occurred on the party wall?

Not at any point. The fact that much of the work was carried out during hours which might be deemed unreasonable (evenings,weekends) suggests to me that they perhaps aren't too well up on building rules and regulations.

Or they just had day jobs?

Talk to the landlord. Explain the situation. Explain the tenant wasn't pleasant when approached (but some adjustments were made) and you no longer feel comfortable approaching them as the relationship has seemingly broken down. As a result you are coming to them as a last resort before looking at other options such as Environmental health noise team.

The suggestion about looking after their dog isn't a route I would go down  Why should you take responsibility for someone else's decision to get a dog and then not meet it's needs (whether that is a doggy day care / training/ being home / whatever reason the dog is unsettled enough to be barking everytime)

Thanks MultiFuelBurner

The landlords worked on it a full time basis, including during evenings and weekends. Maybe a conversation with them is in order though. And yes, we won't be looking after next doors dog anytime soon either. 

janj1332

markin said:

Could mostly be down to carpets being removed, but socket in the party walls is certainly not helping.

Sound proofing the alcoves is probably the easiest path than waiting for the landlord to do anything.

Thanks markin. Yeah we've been thinking getting them done.

molenpad

A lot of rented properties do not allow pets, and this is usually stated in the tenancy agreement. The fact you were given the impression the dog was only "temporary" when you spoke to the wife suggests to me they should not have a dog. 

Personally I wouldn't shop someone in for owning I pet if I thought they shouldn't, I have a personal opinion on pet ownership in rented properties that I won't share here, but if it was affecting my quality of life or the dog seemed to be being neglected, I would speak to the landlord or letting agency and say I was going to monitor the noise as per the local councils instructions. This would be the same approach for other anti-social behaviour. 

People don't like it when they are told they are being loud, they generally get defensive. It seems your neighbours do have some sense of reason though - they did "something" about the noise even though they were aggrieved when you went round to report it.

Continuous barking is disruptive, depressing and difficult to live with. I have a family member who has had to deal with this and only when several neighbours complained did something get done about it - and the problem still comes and goes depending n how often the dogs are left alone.