Loud Baby

Grumpy_chap

Keep_pedalling said:

A landlord is not going to evict a good tenant because they have a noisy baby. 

Ditto this.

As a LL, we once had exactly this type of scenario. 
The residents in the flat above simply disliked the tenant in our flat. 
We received numerous complaints via the Letting Agent, all of which were without foundation. 
We then received a request for contact and references from Social Services as apparently "someone" had complained about the noise of the baby and that the baby was obviously being abused given the amount of crying.  As LL, there was quite an interview as to whether we considered the tenants suitable to bring up a baby and whether the property was safe and adequate for a baby.  It is quite a hard position to be in as LL - we don't really know the tenants as people and don't want to protect a baby at genuine risk of harm.  I simply answered that the flat was two bed ground floor with enclosed garden and the pre-tenancy checks we had undertaken for the individuals.  That seemed to be sufficient.
We did not receive any follow-up contact from Social Services and the Tenants stayed, so all must have been well.

Hopefully it won't come to anything similar for the OP.

LightFlare

Skiddaw1 said:

We lived in a terraced house for many years and whilst we very much appreciate no longer having party walls, we accepted the usual nip & tuck of having neighbours (including crying children). I feel very sorry for your friend OP and think the two doors down neighbours are being unreasonable to say the least. There are far worse things than a crying baby (and babies soon grow up).

Many people would disagree - especially if said baby is someone else’s.
A babies cry is designed to do one thing - attract attention

 Noise is very personal - some people are way more sensitive to some noises than other people. Some people’s hearing is far more sensitive and acute that others. Just because you don’t think it’s bad doesn’t mean everyone will have the same view.

I have sympathies for both parties 

bouicca21

Neighbour sounds decidedly weird. If the baby really is  crying excessively (which seems unlikely) then it might be worth getting it checked over in case there is an underlying medical condition.  

Marvel1

RelievedSheff said:

Having lived next door to an extremely noisy baby then I do have some sympathy for the neighbours in this instance. They have not brought this situation about themselves. Your friends have made a decision to start a family, it is really their responsibility to ensure that their decisions do not adversely affect those living around them.

The neighbours have brought it upon themselves by living in a terraced house and made that decision.

BobT36

bouicca21 said:

Neighbour sounds decidedly weird. If the baby really is  crying excessively (which seems unlikely) then it might be worth getting it checked over in case there is an underlying medical condition.  

What's the chances of that, when the busybody neighbour has also been bombarding someone else with letters for running a washing machine at 9pm? (Which is perfectly reasonable. Isn't it 11pm for excessive noise?). They're not even in flats, just terraced houses! 

As to "It was their decision to start a family!" comments, well good! We have a (native) population issue in this country and FUTURE generations pay your pension, not you. Be happy that someone is having children to keep this country going. 

Regarding "soothe it quickly". It depends on the cry and the reason. True if they genuinely need something (nappy changing etc.) but it's not a good idea to ALWAYS go running immediately, as if it's just for "attention" or because they randomly woke up in the middle of the night, sometimes it's better to leave them until they settle, else you get a baby that just cries even MORE for attention as they know you'll always come running. 

I've seen complaints before for people "talking". Not shouting, just talking in normal or even lowered voices at 11pm or whatever. That is perfectly normal behaviour and is not one family's fault if another decides to go to bed early. Use earplugs or something. It is unfair for one household to demand that another lives by their personal rules. Complaints are only valid if noise is genuinely "excessive". 

Sometimes a simple, single note can help as it's not always obvious how far sound carries in houses, but a consistent bombardment of harassment to force someone to live differently is beyond acceptable. 

YoungBlueEyes

Dear neighbour,

Please list any and all ways known to instantly stop a baby crying. We shall try them in order.

Yours hopefully,

[name]

That, or the earplugs one.

MultiFuelBurner

I haven't read all of this but can the baby's sleeping cor be positioned as far away from any adjoining walls as possible.

As this is rented any wall insulation would need landlords permission but perhaps a large quilt on the joining walls to deaden any sounds might help.

But it does sound like over reaction by the neighbours not immediately joined.

ManuelG

YoungBlueEyes said:

Dear neighbour,

Please list any and all ways known to instantly stop a baby crying. We shall try them in order.

Yours hopefully,

[name]

That, or the earplugs one.

Chloroform?

ThisIsWeird

ManuelG said:

YoungBlueEyes said:

Dear neighbour,

Please list any and all ways known to instantly stop a baby crying. We shall try them in order.

Yours hopefully,

[name]

That, or the earplugs one.

Chloroform?

Good idea. Soak the letter in it. 

ThisIsWeird

A crying baby makes a hellish noise, no question. But, it's 'natural', is (to some degree) unavoidable, and it's temporary. 
It's not like the use of a washing machine which can almost certainly be retimed without issue. 
The noise level by the time it reaches this second house must surely be very very low, and easily drowned out, if need be, by a TV or low-playing background music. The end neighbour has already demonstrated what appears to be a completely unreasonable expectation and entitlement of peaceful enjoyment of their TERRACED home, and their manner of complaint only serves to emphasise their utter lack of empathy. Put it all together, and they deserve little or no consideration. If their letters are causing distress, then report it to the council. If they can, tho', then just laugh it off.

A different issue, tho', is why this baby is crying for seemingly such long periods? And you, yourself, appear to understand the problem from your own life?

If there is nothing wrong with the baby, then it should be sleeping peacefully for much of the time, and gurgling contentedly for much of the rest

Our first child was naturally peaceful - barely any trouble. Our second went through a weird stage very quickly, where she could be calmed down with a cuddle or rock (you know what I mean), but when then placed in her cot - seemingly asleep - she'd go rigid and scream. And I mean scream, as tho' in a pained spasm. Really quite scary.
There then began the inevitable cycle of picking back up and more cuddles - whereupon she'd calm right down again. You know where this is going...
When it became obvious to me there was zero physically wrong with her, but wife was adamant there must a physical issue since the 'going rigid' thing was really quite astonishing, I had to take action... I explained we needed to let her cry through it. We'd tried this for short periods before, probably just a matter of 30-odd seconds! - but wife would crumble and pick her up again. Finally, this was done 'properly' by me taking the cot into the connie away from wife, laying the relaxed child down, and then sitting with her as she went ballistic. Sorry, I mean when they went ballistic - wife was in tears, shouting at me to pick her up. I sat on the floor with my feet against the door so she couldn't get in... Not my happiest memory.
After what seemed like an age, but was likely 'only' around 3 or 4 minutes, I was on the verge of giving up as baby was still screaming, and wife really upset. Then - click - baby fell asleep. 
And, it fixed the issue, almost overnight. A few occasional reinforcements - always much shorter - were required, but this time wife was onboard.
Bedtimes became a pleasure. We had to acknowledge that we had effectively programmed that screaming response into our baby!

Your friends' issue may now be made more difficult in that they know the crying is causing an annoyance, so would be reluctant to try anything other than what might give an instant response, regardless of whether this is actually making matters worse. Which it almost certainly is.
Do they have family nearbyish they could visit for support? A wise mum or dad, or even grand-versions? If so, then perhaps they could arrange to stay there for a couple of days, and put some ol' tried and tested techniques into practice? Perhaps - gasp - leave the baby with them for a day or two!
I fear - but I obviously do not know - that your friends have gotten themselves into a vicious circle. Because, if there is nothing physically wrong with the baby - and chances are there ain't - then it's almost certainly an inadvertently 'taught' response. They need to be resolute! But, maaaan, the rewards are immense. It should be joyous.