Noise from flat above!!!

itgirlinuk

I moved into a ground floor flat and was pleased that I get a garden.

But the downside is that I hear the people upstairs moving about. They have kids and the kids keeps running about. And I think this is because there is something wrong with the carpeting in the flat above.

The sound wakes me up in the morning. What do I do?? I can't force them to put in decent carpets, can I? And is there something that I can do to control the noise??

Please help...I don't get my sunday lie-ins anymore...

rchddap1

Think yourself lucky its not thud....thud...thud....thud at 11pm - 3pm at night. In our case the guy was renting from a Housing Association and made a mess of his flat...so they threw him out.

My advise as a first step would be to pop up to see your neighbours and voice your concerns. Perhaps ask them if they be a little bit quieter in the mornings.

mah_jong

Do they have carpets???

I ask as I never used to hear a thing next door...but since they got the floorong in, I hear so much! I dont know what is worse the kids fooling around at 1am or the doors slamming!!!!

I would so as rchddap1 suggests, ask for a wee bit oif quiet in the mornings!

itgirlinuk

I spoke to the tenants above and they said the carpet is not great! Thread-bare they said. I have not been up myself.

And when the nanny walks around, its Thud...Thud...Thud...

I don't know why someone would need to walk around all day I know its their flat, but do they have to walk all the time??

mrcow

If the sound is waking you up at all hours, then I'd recommend ear plugs (I'm not joking, they can really work).

whyhellothere

Please note i am just having my opinion said

i feel he should not need to wear ear plugs he should ask them to quite down and they should do as asked if not then try ear plugs as they obviousley dont care for others needs

Nile

mrcow wrote:

If the sound is waking you up at all hours, then I'd recommend ear plugs (I'm not joking, they can really work).

I agree with mrcow.

I have the choice of waking with the dawn chorus from the birds singing at 4am or wearing ear plugs and sleeping through their delightful display.

Keeping the bedroom window closed to stop the noise is not an option when it's so hot and humid.

I use the soft foam ear plugs, they are very comfortable and stop unwanted noise disturbing my sleep but I can still hear the alarm clock.

itgirlinuk

I am just worried about burglars breaking in and not able to hear.

Can I complain about the noise to the council? And maybe the council will make them recarpet it...Or is that too strong a move?

Is there a way to soundproof my flat??

hrafndot

There is nothing worse than the problem you are experiencing and you are not alone. There are many people suffering from impact and airborne noise problems, however this problem is recognised and good housing associations and councils take remedial action very seriously.

Can you clarify whether you are a private tenant or housing or council tenant as this will affect the information I give you.

itgirlinuk

I own the ground floor flat and the flat above is also privately owned. Will the council still help me? Fingers crossed for your answer.

hrafndot

itgirlinuk wrote:

I own the ground floor flat and the flat above is also privately owned. Will the council still help me? Fingers crossed for your answer.

Its important not to become overwhelmed by the problem, its one of the most stressful things you can experience.

If you own the flat, using the council may not be an option. If you complain to the environmental health under noise nuisance, if you wish to sell the flat in future, this will have to be disclosed to the potential buyer and may affect your prospects. However it is worth a visit to see what policy or assistance they can offer. It would pay to look at your lease it may be similar to the flat above. Then take your documentation to the local law centre initially to get advice. It will pay to stay on good terms with your upstairs neighbour so I would get advice on how to negotiate on this issue before approaching them. Perhaps you have a local mediation service who would have experience on this type of issue and could offer advice. For yourself the earplugs are a good suggestion, however if you are nervous about intruders, then an alternative would be to invest in some Paul McKenna relaxation tapes (I have found that they work). Sound insulation would be difficult if you do not have the cooperation of your neighbours.

Hope this helps a little.