Noise since neighbour installed new staircase

kuepper

I live in a Victorian terrace, about 8 months ago a lot of work went on at the empty house next door. After it finished a month later and the place was occupied by the new owner who'd arranged for the work I started hearing pitter patter whenever anyone went up or down stairs. I never heard this when the house was occupied previously so I think they've moved the staircase or put in a different type. I've tried to get used to it but I'm now finding it annoying. I checked with local council building regulations and the only thing that was applied for was a new boiler. Presumably a new staircase properly installed wouldn't create this problem or would it? I don't know what to do, if I mention it to my new neighbour or complain to the council it's obviously going to cause friction.

sheramber

There could be no carpet on the staircase to deaden some sound.

Are there children in the house? My son and dil heard their neighbour’s children running up and down the stairs.

Cressida100

More likely to be lack of carpet than moving the staircase. It may sound loud if you have got used to having no noise at all from next door.

grumpy_codger

Presumably a new staircase properly installed wouldn't create this problem or would it?

Define 'properly'. I saw new houses 'properly' built (meeting all regulations for soundproofing) where tenants left as soon as they could because of a baby crying in the adjusent one.

In my previous house a part of the dowble-winder staircase was fixed to the partition wall and the neighbour complained, so I had it carpeted eventually.

maman

It's possible that the neighbour may have turned the staircase around so that, instead of running at right angles to your property, the new staircase runs up against your shared wall.

This is quite common in Victorian terraces, to either make a large open plan living space (so no longer two rooms split by the staircase) but also to reconfigure the upstairs to create an extra room like a bathroom.

kuepper

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82094445#Comment_82094445

Maybe, but how to deal with the matter?

grumpy_codger

The only way to deal with it is to discuss with the owner.

MeteredOut

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82094623#Comment_82094623

Or move.

Discussing with the owner is probably easier.

TELLIT01

My sister-in-law had new neighbours move in and they almost immediately complained about the noise when people were on the stairs. My s-i-l had two kids aged about 6 and 10 and never had any complaints from the previous neighbours. Her kids ran up and down the stairs, which were carpetted, so apart from the kids walking on the stairs there was nothing more she could do. These were terraced houses and the stairs of the houses were up the wall between houses.

The OP either has to speak to the neighbour, or put up with it.